An assistive technology device is an item of equipment or components of a system which are used to maintain, promote or increase the independent functioning of people with disabilities.

It allows individuals to perform actions in their daily lives such as speaking and interacting with others and freely moving about in and exercising control over their environment whether it be at home, school, work or in the community.

This creates a real hindrance to their education as well as communication, since they can not interact with their teachers. Voice Output Communication Aids, like Kathamala- that integrates pictures, icons, texts with corresponding voice outputs, can be successfully used for this community.

 

General Description Of ‘Kathamala’

KATHAMALA - A GARLAND OF VOICES, as the terminology explains, is a simple low cost Portable Voice Output Device with high-end features and user-friendly press switches to activate statically recorded voice by the aid of an Embedded Controller and a Static Voice Recorder.

Kathamala Version 1 is a 16 channel Voice Output Communication Aid developed, engineered and manufactured by MTPL (Microware Technologies Pvt. Ltd.), marketed and serviced by MS (Micro Solutions). This product is conceived by IICP (Indian Institute Of Cerebral Palsy) and evaluated by IIT (Indian Institute Of Technology) Kharagpur.

The Generic Attributes of Kathamala

Kathamala has a powerful embedded controller inside it, which directs the speech module to record the voice in 16 discrete locations. These locations can be accessed directly be pressing soft -touch buttons. Overlays made with pictures / words / phrases or a combination of these for the locations are to be designed by the teachers / facilitators relevant to the speech recorded.

The total recording and play time is 8 minutes. Hence for each speech location the time is 30 seconds.

Thirty seconds is a long time for any deliberate expression. Kathamala Version I has the ability to squeeze the number of recording zones by a selector switch to 8 thus allowing the student to record voices as long as 1 minute per channel.

Kathamala has a high-end low noise pre-amplifier section that is guided by JFET [Junction Field Effect Transistor] with a high gain front ending amplifier that enables the recording to take place digitally nearest to the perfection.

The power amplifier section comprises of a professional grade amplifier with low noise which makes Kathamala a very useful tool for people with communication disabilities.

Kathamala Version-I has the requisite firmware to convert the same to a 64-zone voice output device with scanning facility at a later day. This requires modifications in the fabrication and additional software support. This modified version is termed as Kathamala Version-II.