GW Micro's VoiceSense: PDA for the blind

Fort Wayne, Indiana based company GW Micro has developed a new type of PDA designed specifically for the blind and sight-impaired, called the VoiceSense. The assistant runs a modified version of Windows CE and features a vocal guidance system, a full function PIM, web browser, MP3 player, Daisy talking book player, FM radio tuner and MSN Messenger -- all accessible through its custom Perkins-style Braille keyboard. The device has a 540MHz PXA270 processor, 1GB of RAM, and also boasts 802.11b/g, USB 2.0, audio in and out jacks, SD and CF card support, and runs 12 hours on a full charge. The PDA is available right now for $1,795, though the price goes up to $1,895 after July 15th.

[huckity huck huck @ Jul 14th 2007 11:50AM]

I bet being blind must suck.

[melloncollie @ Jul 14th 2007 12:24PM]

You're an idiot.

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 14th 2007 12:29PM]

Probably not as much as it sucks being you.

[Comacozi @ Jul 14th 2007 11:51AM]

will it allow the blind to play doom?

[matt @ Jul 14th 2007 12:08PM]

next iphone firmware update to include blind,deaf,dumb support?

[Jon @ Jul 14th 2007 12:59PM]

Be careful Matt.
I have taught the Blind to Juggle. I have watched them excel at Roller Derby(http://www.freewebs.com/illinoisrollerderby4/sammyskobelpage.htm), Ski(http://www.foresightskiguides.org/), and Golf.
Just because they are physically handicapped does not mean that they are mentally handicapped.

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 14th 2007 12:20PM]

Impressive device. Good to see firms putting a lot of time and effort into this kind of R&D.

[Greg Hodges-Paramore @ Jul 14th 2007 12:55PM]

Man this PDA 4 the blind has more stuff than a PDA for the seeing.... But all I want to know is... what does the blind need with a PDA??? I just can see how they can use this!

[MiLK @ Jul 14th 2007 1:00PM]

What, so being blind means you can't email, IM, text, browse the web? Give me a break.

[CaptSaltyJack @ Jul 14th 2007 1:16PM]

Nice. Let's penalize the blind with a $1800 price tag for their PDA while people without visual impairments can pay as low as $200. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Gotham24 @ Jul 14th 2007 4:20PM]

Yes, $1800 is a lot for a PDA, however, I would suspect as much if not more R&D went into this than a standard PDA, and they won't be selling ten million of them to bring the unit cost down. It's all about the economy of scale.

So, while I agree that it is a lot of money, I am sure there are a lot of sight impaired folks out there than would be more than thrilled to have the chance to buy this, even at $1800.

[SarahEmm @ Jul 14th 2007 1:27PM]

It's neat and all, but not really a "new type of PDA". Freedom Scientific has had the PAC Mate out for many years now (which runs PocketPC and has voice/braille output and qwerty/braille input), and a number of other notetakers on the market right now do very similar things to this one. New models are still something though, and it's neat to see mainstream sites like Engadget covering them.

[Yubal @ Jul 14th 2007 2:04PM]

how can they debug this thing? I mean, the manufacturers...

anyways this is awesome, awesome, awesome!! *imitates the aliens from robot chicken*

can you imagine someone in a library, really quiet, with his hands over this thing, very still, for a very long time...

-"what is he doing?"
-"checking his email and RSS feeds."

[Dan @ Jul 14th 2007 5:26PM]

Well, debugging is the same as other devices. Other than the input, it's really just windows mobile (CE in this case).

We wipe out the display and listen....that's it.

[Derwin @ Jul 14th 2007 2:40PM]

Yes but where is the screen?

[Jon @ Jul 14th 2007 2:44PM]

Not funny.

[Shaun Sanders @ Jul 14th 2007 5:11PM]

I honestly think it should have a screen of some sort...

Mainly because of 2 scenarios:

1) If I lose my PDA phone, any average good-semaritan-Joe can operate it and try to find my "home" number to return it... this is not possible with this phone. Although, I suppose you could put an ugly sticker on it.

2) If I am in an accident or some kind of an emergency, someone could use my phone to call/find my family.

I understand why it doesn't have a screen... but for $1800... I think it should atleast have something for non-blind people to be able to use the unit a little.

[Jon @ Jul 14th 2007 6:02PM]

A blind person wouldn't care if an 'ugly' sticker is on his PDA.

[Shaun Sanders @ Jul 14th 2007 7:39PM]

@Jon - First off... I'm not sure what blind people you know, but the ones I do care about style... especially physical sensations... and an "ugly" sticker for a blind person would refer to the texture and interruption of the flow of the object.

Stop being a troll.

[Jon @ Jul 14th 2007 8:32PM]

I am not being a troll. I am being serious. The points you made makes no sense. Most missing items should be handed to the local authorities anyway.

Putting a sticker does not make something ugly if the sticker itself isn't ugly. You could etch a number if you hate stickers so much. My phone for example is programmed to lock after a certain number of hours. If I lose it nobody could access the system. A sticker on the battery door would be better.

Then you have to consider the point of privacy. Would a blind person prefer his PDA's screen to be turned on and someone could be looking over his shoulder reading his personal e-mails without him knowing.

[alexq @ Jul 14th 2007 5:18PM]

.. I guess the price is high as they are selling to a niche market - they have to recoup their costs on a small volume of sales. I imagine R&D will be a significant cost as the device is unique? Good luck to them - its an innovative device! :)

[Ryan @ Jul 14th 2007 5:51PM]

How do you surf the web on something like this? I would imagine that the price is so high due to how hard it must have been to get the features of a PDA working in a device without a screen.

[Eric @ Jul 14th 2007 9:35PM]

OK, so now there's a version of CE for the blind, but I still can't use a stylus left handed? I would think there are more left handed people in the world than sightless. Of course, since I can't read the screen with my hand in front of it (since the scroll sliders are on the right side of the screen on CE), maybe I should just learn braille.