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16-year-old from Panipat selected for the Google Science Fair 2014

Arsh Shah Dilbagi, has developed an AAC device for people suffering from developmental disabilities

Mumbai: Arsh Shah Dilbagi, a 16-year-old student of DAV Public School, Panipat, has been selected as one of the 15 Google Science Fair 2014 finalists. Dilbagi has developed an AAC device for people suffering from developmental disabilities like Parkinson’s disease, Down syndrome, ALS etc.

On an estimate, 1.4 per cent of the world population suffers from such disorders, which is more than the entire population of Germany. The life expectancy of such people is expected at 20 years below average, mainly due to absent or inadequate communication. And the statistics show that, developmental disabilities are likely to be higher in areas of poverty.

According to Dilbagi, the current AAC devices are expensive, costing thousands of dollars, making them out of reach to people who need them the most. Along with that, they are bulky and consume a lot of electricity.

Arsh Shah Dilbagi, on the other hand, has developed an AAC device, called ‘Talk’, which is affordable, generic, has faster speaking rate, portable and consumes less power. This device uses breath as the medium of interaction between the user and the device.

Watch the video below to understand how ‘Talk’ works:

Video Courtesy: Im Robo, YouTube

( Source : dc )
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