Volume 1 Issue 4 1.June.

2009

One Touch at a Time

M I N D T R E E F O U N D A T I O N — J O U R N A L

A s s i s t i v e T e c h n o l o g y — P a r t
Last month, we had read about the excit-
ing path that led Jude to the development
of the solution to meet Pooja’s needs. This
month, I am profiling another AT program
that we are executing.
In this project, the technology belongs to a
third party. However, they have been fac-
ing issues in building this product to
make it available to the users in volumes.
2
tem partners for industrial design, volume
manufacturing, packaging and delivery
etc.
Many such technologies have been devel-
oped by premier institutes like IITs across
the country. They need significant support
to get them off the labs and make them
available to the people on the streets.

If we can successfully execute the com-

Now, MindTree’e product engineering ca- plete lifecycle for ADITI, we have the op-
pabilities are being utilized to make this portunity to bring out many more such
possible. In the first stage, our system products to the market in collaboration
I N S I D E T H I S
engineering, hardware design, testing and with these institutions.
I S S U E : debugging capabilities have come in
handy to independently build this product
Brief Summary 1
in our labs. … Raja Shanmugam

ADITI - Assistive Tech-

2
In Stage 2, we will leverage our eco sys-
nology

Know your Catalysts 4

M I N D T R E E C a t a l y s t –
Seven Deadly Sins 5
A few weeks ago, I had requested for Catalysts for
Social connect activities in MindTree. At the end of
a stupendous 10 day period, we had almost 280
people stepping forward.
After detailed review of these responses, we identi-
fied 30+ Catalysts across 17 locations to help drive
the first round of the program.
These Catalysts come with a lot of prior experience
in such activities and are extremely committed to
U P D A T E
this program. They are now in the process of
identifying the right social connect activity in
your respective locations. Once they are done,
they will call for volunteers to be involved in
these activities locally.
We will profile a few of these catalysts in each
of our coming issues. When they seek out
volunteers in your location, do support them
with enthusiastic response!!!... Raja
P a g e 2 N e w s l et t e r T it l e

A s s i s t i v e t e c h n o l o g y – A D I T I

Application:
This product connects to the USB port of either PC or other devices and gets
recognized as a Human Interface Device or Mouse. Each activation of the de-
vice is recognized as a ―Click‖ of a mouse button.
It works well in conjunction with a software called HOPE, where the cursor
block moves over a set of letters. When the device is activated as the cursor
moves over the letter, it selects the letter. (We will
talk about HOPE in a later issue) ADITI—fully assembled and
ready for operation

Uniqueness of this product:

It acts as a touch-less interface. This product recognizes if an object is brought closer to the antenna surface. It senses this
and generates a click. This click can be generated either when the object comes closer or moves away. The distance at
which the object can be sensed is also controllable. This mouse click is used to select various options on a corresponding
platform which uses single click for selection.

Target Users:
This product is useful for people with severe muscular and mobility limitations. Especially, many people affected by Cere-
bral Palsy have even their restricted to mobility limited some specific parts of their body – for example, head, feet, knees,
etc. These people cannot operate even the Jelly Bean switches normally used by people with muscular disabilities to inter-
act with computers.
For example, in one case in Chennai, this is fixed to the headrest of a Wheel Chair – the girl activates the mouse a by mov-
ing her head…(Incidentally, she has completed B.Com and is doing her Chartered Accountancy course! How is that for
overcoming adversity…)

Ownership of Technology:
IIT Chennai (its Socially Relevant Product Scheme) + Chetana Trust (run by Prof Anil Prabhakar and his wife )

Market Relevance:
The product can be made and sold @ less than INR 750/-. (US$ 15). This makes it one of the most affordable devices
in this segment.

Since there are practically NO MOVING COMPONENTS, this overcomes one of the most critical failure issues of the
conventional and costly jelly bean switches – which break down quickly under rough treatment.

Due to the form factor and touch-less characteristics, this can be fitted at different places/ angles on the wheel
chairs, etc to provides convenient access to the client.

Touch-less means no pressure needs to be applied on the switch – this could mean immense savings in energy and
less fatigue.
V o l u m e 1 I s s u e 4 P a g e 3

A D I T I — M I N D T R E E C O N N E C T I O N

Till now, a few prototypes of this product has been assembled by the Lab techni-
cian at Prof. Anil’s labs.
However, there is a very high requirement for this. An NGO in Chennai would like to
source this product in 100’s of numbers. This is impossible for the lab to handle.
MindTree is working with Prof. Anil to productize the solution and also enable vol-
ume production through its access to ecosystem partners.

Naveen K

Team: Ravindra Munvar, Bhushan Shripad Barve, Manjunath Chinnappa, SivaT Sankari

Current Status:
The team has independently assembled an ADITI System and tested it. MindTree has integrated Aditi with HOPE system on
an embedded Platform. This has also helped in cleaning up the Bill of Materials and schematics and making them current.

Interesting facts:
When building the system, the team struggled to make the system work for quite a few days. While almost all the testing
was fine as expected, the system was still not getting recognized by the PC as a USB device. It was finally found that the
USB cable that the team used caused a voltage drop – which caused the mouse controller not to communicate properly
with the PC. Once the cable was replaced by a better one, this was resolved.
Prof Anil’s team had built an unique mounting arrangement—using common Electrical Conduits - the kind that your electri-
cian fits at home. After repeated visits to various vendors, we were able to procure it. Using this conduit for mounting will be
a challenge when we plan to build more units.
This Technology
was first patented
W h a t N e x t ? for use in a
Musical
1. Replace the obsolete Mouse Controller with an alternate, current, low cost mouse controller Instrument!!!—
2. Re-design the system to reduce size and cost.
when the musician
3. Design a different type of enclosure which can be easily manufactured
waves his arms like
4. Build more prototypes and make it ready for manufacture.
5. Set up production, sale, shipment process with a vendor for volume production
a conductor, the
device will play
different tunes and
tempos
 Know your Catalysts
Currently working with Currently
helping economically chal- working with
lenged children in Primary an NGO
Education near Nagpur
called BAPS
Why become a Catalyst? Why become a Catalyst?
Mahesh An individual should Engage with MindTree
Abhishek Foundation & spend
Jajada contribute to his society
as a primary Ballaney some time on weekends
Pune responsibility. Bangalore utilizing my knowledge
& skills.

Akshara -Pune. Wagoli Ashram

donations, blood donation cam-
paign plus an ECG check up camp,
with the help of other Akshara
volunteers.
Why become a Catalyst?
If my presence, words, time
Jharna and efforts can help bring a
Punjabi smile on the faces of those less
Pune privileged than me, I would
consider myself blessed.”
Currently working on
helping SPASTN to in-
teract better with cor-
porates
Why become a Catalyst?
To create awareness in my
Veeraraghavan
surrounding about
Arumugam
differently abled people and
Chennai their hardship/will power to
lead their day-to-day life

Involved with SOCARE, an organi-

zation that provides education,
I’m involved with iVolun-
shelter and basic needs to chil- teer organization. The or-
dren of hard core convicts who are ganization is networked
serving their term in prisons with NGOs that work to-
Why become a Catalyst? wards social initiatives
Radhika Utilizing my other skills and and activities.
effectively put to use in the Harsh Umesh
Modur Kulkarni
field of education,
Bangalore especially targeting children Bangalore Why become a Catalyst?
1. This will give an
opportunity to work outside
from our regular work.
At times, I feel I should
Why become a
also be contributing
Catalyst? towards the needy people.
I was involved 2. Being a catalyst will help
in social me in exploring new skills
activities like leadership skills, team
during college
building skills etc.
years. I am
keenly
Pankaj interested in 3. I’ll have that feel good
Agrawal doing same factor when I contribute for
activity through this cause.
Pune the Catalyst’s
role .
 Working with Akshara
Trust which involves Akshara -Pune. Wagoli Ashram do-
activities mainly to nating Tshirts (money was launched
help the children with by employees painting and decorat-
their primary educa- ing clay items and then bidding for
tion by giving them them!). We also donated food and
free notebooks, uni- toys and books for the children.
forms, mid day meals,
second hand Com-
Hemnath puters. Why become a Catalyst?
Helping the salaries In this world, I am so
Sridharan for staffs of WARDS, a Neville fortunate and it pains me at
Bangalore school of physically
handicapped and Postwalla times looking at persons
who are so unfortunate. I'm
Pune
Why become a mentally retarded
Catalyst? children sure I can make a difference
Would like to use Also, conducting ac- to some persons life's.
my utmost efforts tivities for the school
to help some one at children during Inde-
any cost to create a pendence Day, Repub-
warmth smile on lic Day and Children's
their face :-) Day.

Note 1: The activities reflect what these catalysts are currently involved in. The actual set of activities for
which we will solicit volunteer participation may not be the same.

Note 2 : This a partial list. We will publish the other names and profiles as and when we receive them from
the catalysts.

S e v e n D e a d l y S i n s – a c c o r d i n g
M a h a t m a G a n d h i
Last week, I was asked to speak on
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
at IIM– Bangalore. The audience was a
group of Faculty Members of various
Management Institutes, undergoing a
training program on how to teach CSR
to their students.
After 4 days of theoretical inputs, my
session was to give them a real life
implementation perspective. Also, in a
way, it was to answer the question on
the top of their minds ―Do all these
principles really work?‖. Happy to say,
the MindTree story made believers of
almost every one of them!!! (At least
this was what they said when they met
me over tea after the session.)
t o
While researching for the session, I
came across this gem of what Gandhi
described as the Seven Deadly Sins:
Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Knowledge without character
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Religion without sacrifice
Politics without principles
Very relevant now, as it was 60 years Seven Deadly Sins— Content courtesy—The
ago. Gandhian Way– Free Booklet distributed by
Venkataraman Associates, Architects.
…..Raja