IIT Delhi's National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies Debuts Innovations for Visually Challenged

NCAHT at IIT Delhi released new assistive tech for the visually impaired, including SmartCane V2 and a Refreshable Braille Display, with large-scale user trials underway. Know details here

The National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT) at IIT Delhi, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), recently introduced a range of assistive technology products designed for the visually challenged. Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR, officially unveiled these products in the presence of Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi.

NCAHT at IIT Delhi introduced several cutting-edge assistive technology innovations, including Shapescapes (a geometry learning kit), high-quality White Canes, and an Accessible Kit for STEM Education. Additionally, NCAHT has initiated large-scale user trials for SmartCane Version 2 and the Refreshable Braille Display. Developed in collaboration with Saksham Trust, New Delhi, these advancements aim to enhance the independent mobility and educational opportunities of visually challenged individuals.

Dr. Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, while launching the products, emphasised the need for developing indigenous assistive technology solutions for unmet needs in this space. Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, emphasized the importance of grooming students into ambassadors of social innovation by engaging them in state-of-the-art R&D activities.

• Shapescape: It is a geometry learning kit designed by NCAHT to help visually challenged students overcome obstacles in understanding geometry concepts. This DIY kit, crafted with universal design principles, is affordable and accessible to sighted, low-vision, and visually challenged students alike.
• Accessible Kit for STEM Education: The kit has been developed to overcome challenges faced by visually challenged students in learning concepts of electronics such as logic gates, electronic components, circuits, etc.  It allows students to understand the fundamentals through inclusive models, which have embossed symbolic representation along with real components.
• High-quality white canes: The white cane is a crucial assistive tool for visually challenged individuals, supporting their independent and safe mobility. Listed in the NLEAP (National List of Essential Assistive Products), it has been developed through collaboration between Kenstel Communications Private Ltd. and IIT Delhi. This high-quality cane meets international standards and addresses longstanding issues found in previous Indian-made models.

Trials of SmartCane Version 2

IIT Delhi, in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems, Chennai, and Saksham Trust, and supported by funding from the Wellcome Trust, developed SmartCane, an electronic travel aid. Used by approximately 150,000 people globally, SmartCane Version 2 represents an enhanced iteration with improved usability and user experience, addressing additional user concerns and obsolescence. Listed in the NLEAP, it has undergone iterative design, testing, and modification phases, currently undergoing extensive user validation trials.

User Trials of Refreshable Braille Display

The Assistech Lab at IIT Delhi, in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems and Saksham Trust, has developed Tacread, a new refreshable Braille technology, to enable visually challenged users to access digital text from various sources in Braille format. A visually challenged person, for example, can access any book in Braille format from Sugmya Pustakalaya, India's first and largest collection of accessible books. Large-scale user validation trials have begun for the current low-cost version of the Braille reader.

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