Battelle Leading Effort to Design Next-Generation Talking Book Player

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) , Library of Congress, has chosen a consortium led by Battelle to design and develop its next-generation digital talking book players.

Battelle is working with HumanWare, the National Federation of the Blind, and the Trace Center to develop a new player to meet the needs of the blind and physically handicapped, as well as others with print disabilities. The new flash-based player will be lightweight, portable, and durable, and is expected to be freely distributed to over 700,000 individuals in the U.S.
 
“We are excited to have brought this exceptional group of companies on board. We have great confidence in their capabilities and we know that the product they design will be a success for our patrons,” says Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director. Digital talking books revolutionize the reading experience by providing advanced features such as ease of navigation, better audio quality, and the ability to enter bookmarks. Additionally, a complete book will fit on a single flash memory card.
 
“Battelle has a 75-year history of leveraging technology for the benefit of our customers and investing in the human community through service to others. This opportunity sits squarely in this space and we are very excited about it,” says Battelle’s Dave Easter, Vice President of Product Development Solutions. “Battelle’s Product Development Solutions staff has extensive experience designing products for the medical and consumer products industry. We bring strong skills in project management, product integration, engineering, industrial design, and the translation of user needs into critical design specifications.”
 
The consortium brings together a powerful, diverse group of experts. HumanWare, has designed and commercialized digital talking book players since 1999 under the Victor Reader product line. The Trace Center at the University of Wisconsin has been a pioneer in technology for the disabled for more than 30 years. And the involvement of the National Federation of the Blind ensures that those individuals most affected by the new players have a voice in their design and development.
 
“This project will enable the blind to actively participate in the development of the next generation audio book player,” says Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “Our community has an opportunity to contribute directly to this important project.”
 
“We are excited to participate in the first redesign of the NLS audiobook player in the last 30 years and to contribute HumanWare’s and our partner’s experience toward the launch of a revolutionary player to serve the visually impaired and print-disabled community,” says Dr. Gilles Pepin, President of HumanWare Canada.
 
Source: PR Newswire