Telesensory Systems
Encyclopedia
Telesensory Systems, Inc. (TSI) (later TeleSensory Corporation) was an American corporation that invented, designed, manufactured, and distributed technological aids
for blind
and low vision
persons. TSI's products helped visually impaired people work independently with computers and with ordinary printed materials.
, TSI's first product, was conceived by Electrical Engineering
Professor John G. Linvill
as a means for his blind daughter, Candy, to read ordinary print. The Optacon development, led by James C. Bliss
, involved dozens of engineers and scientists at Stanford University
and at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International
) starting in 1962. Following the successful demonstration of a functional prototype in 1969, TSI was founded in 1970 in Palo Alto, California, USA. TSI developed a line of products for blind people during the 1970s, and expanded into the low vision field in 1984.
TSI's products for blind people employed either tactile or auditory means of conveying information; its low vision products increased the size and contrast of printed material
or computer screen images
. Some TSI products consisted of software only, but most also needed custom electronics hardware.
For thirty-five years TSI provided electronic assistive devices to visually impaired persons worldwide. Concurrently computer technology improved and computer operating systems began to incorporate accessibility options such as speech screen readers or magnification for no cost. Having changed its name to "TeleSensory", the company shifted its focus to low visions products and stopped manufacturing blindness products in the early 1990s.
In March, 2005, TeleSensory, the former TSI, abruptly declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy
and all its employees were escorted from the building.
In August, 2005, InSiPhil (S) Pte Ltd. of Singapore purchased TeleSensory's intellectual property and remaining assets and resumed production of some of the low vision products under the name and logo of TeleSensory. As of early 2010, these products are available in 50 countries.
Assistive technology
Assistive technology or adaptive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them...
for blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and low vision
Low vision
Low vision is a subspecialty within the professions of optometry and ophthalmology dealing with individuals who have reduced vision even when using the best possible spectacle or contact lens correction available. It can be a result of either congenital disease Low vision is a subspecialty within...
persons. TSI's products helped visually impaired people work independently with computers and with ordinary printed materials.
History
The OptaconOptacon
The Optacon is an electromechanical device that enables blind people to read printed material that has not been transcribed into Braille.- Description :...
, TSI's first product, was conceived by Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
Professor John G. Linvill
John G. Linvill
John G. Linvill was an American professor of Electrical engineering at Stanford University, known for his pioneering work in higher education, integrated circuits and semiconductors, and for development of the Optacon reading machine for the blind.-Early life and education:He received his A.B...
as a means for his blind daughter, Candy, to read ordinary print. The Optacon development, led by James C. Bliss
James C. Bliss
James C. Bliss is an American electrical engineer and entrepreneur best known for his pioneering role in developing technological aids for visually impaired people.-Technical research:Jim Bliss received his B.S.E.E...
, involved dozens of engineers and scientists at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and at Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International
SRI International
SRI International , founded as Stanford Research Institute, is one of the world's largest contract research institutes. Based in Menlo Park, California, the trustees of Stanford University established it in 1946 as a center of innovation to support economic development in the region. It was later...
) starting in 1962. Following the successful demonstration of a functional prototype in 1969, TSI was founded in 1970 in Palo Alto, California, USA. TSI developed a line of products for blind people during the 1970s, and expanded into the low vision field in 1984.
TSI's products for blind people employed either tactile or auditory means of conveying information; its low vision products increased the size and contrast of printed material
Video magnifier
Video magnifiers are electronic devices that use a camera, LCD screen, lenses and/or digital magnification.They are designed to be mostly used by people with vision that can no longer be help using a conventional magnifying glass. The benefit of a video magnifier is that it allows greater...
or computer screen images
Screen magnifier
A screen magnifier is software that interfaces with a computer's graphical output to present enlarged screen content. It is a type of assistive technology suitable for visually impaired people with some functional vision; visually impaired people with little or no functional vision usually use a...
. Some TSI products consisted of software only, but most also needed custom electronics hardware.
For thirty-five years TSI provided electronic assistive devices to visually impaired persons worldwide. Concurrently computer technology improved and computer operating systems began to incorporate accessibility options such as speech screen readers or magnification for no cost. Having changed its name to "TeleSensory", the company shifted its focus to low visions products and stopped manufacturing blindness products in the early 1990s.
In March, 2005, TeleSensory, the former TSI, abruptly declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
and all its employees were escorted from the building.
In August, 2005, InSiPhil (S) Pte Ltd. of Singapore purchased TeleSensory's intellectual property and remaining assets and resumed production of some of the low vision products under the name and logo of TeleSensory. As of early 2010, these products are available in 50 countries.
Selected Products for Blind People
- OptaconOptaconThe Optacon is an electromechanical device that enables blind people to read printed material that has not been transcribed into Braille.- Description :...
, 1970 (tactileHaptic perceptionHaptic perception is the process of recognizing objects through touch. It involves a combination of somatosensory perception of patterns on the skin surface and proprioception of hand position and conformation....
facsimile machine for reading ordinary print) - Speech+ Calculator, 1976 (calculator with synthesized speechSpeech synthesisSpeech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware...
output) - VERT, 1979 (speech output screen readerScreen readerA screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen . This interpretation is then re-presented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a Braille output device...
for computer access) - VersaBraille, 1979 (personal computer with refreshable braille displayRefreshable Braille displayA refreshable Braille display or Braille terminal is an electro-mechanical device for displaying Braille characters, usually by means of raising dots through holes in a flat surface. Blind computer users, who cannot use a normal computer monitor, use it to read text output...
) - OsCar, an optical character recognitionOptical character recognitionOptical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the mechanical or electronic translation of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text. It is widely used to convert books and documents into electronic files, to computerize a record-keeping...
speech output reading machine
Selected Products for Visually Impaired People
- Vista (screen enlarger for computer access)
- Vantage (closed-circuit TV magnifier for print or images)
- Aladdin (video magnifierVideo magnifierVideo magnifiers are electronic devices that use a camera, LCD screen, lenses and/or digital magnification.They are designed to be mostly used by people with vision that can no longer be help using a conventional magnifying glass. The benefit of a video magnifier is that it allows greater...
) - PICO (handheld video magnifier)