Every civilized society has to strive towards providing means for independent living with dignity to every member of the society. Apart from economic and social backwardness, differently abled in India and the rest of the developing world, face many more severe challenges related to mobility and education. This has a direct bearing on their economic independence as well as social integration. AssisTech is an inter-disciplinary group of faculty, research staff and students, which is engaged in using modern technology for finding affordable solutions for the visually impaired. The focus is on mobility and education which we consider are fundamental to enable any person to live independently and with dignity. Apart from working on specific solutions based on needs identified by the users themselves, we hope to create an eco-system that helps sensitize and ignite a number of young minds towards real day-to-day challenges of the differently abled.

Research Projects

Indoor Navigation
Inclunav
Indoor Navigation

The project involved the development of a custom mapping application and a pilot implementation of an interactive (“Person – Building - Space”) indoor navigation system.
Onboard User Module





MAVI
Mobility Assistant for Visually Impaired

mavi is an ambitious project aimed at enabling mobility for visually impaired individuals, specially in india.
RAVI - Reading Assistant for Visually Impaired
RAVI
Reading Assistant for Visually Impaired

Project RAVI focuses on making textbooks accessible to readers.
SmartCane Device
SmartCaneTM Device
Electronic Mobility Aid

The ‘SmartCane' device is an affordable obstacle detection system that is mounted on the white cane carried by the visually challenged.
Onboard User Module
OnBoardTM
Bus Identification System

OnBoard allows users to identify the route number of buses approaching a bus stop.
refreshable braille display
TacRead
Tactile Readout Device

TacRead is a device that enables people with visually impairment to read digital text through tactile interface.
tactile-graphics icon
Tactile Graphics
Centre of Excellence in Tactile Graphics
Raised Lines Foundation
Tactile Graphics are produced using embossing or other technologies on physical medium like swell paper or PVC sheets.
NVDA Icon
NVDA
Non Visual Desktop Access

NVDA is a screen reading software that interprets information displayed on a screen, converting to audio via text-to-speech engines.

Publications

Patents

2019 User Triggered DUO-Module destination identification system for the visually challenged
2019 Multimodal Interaction System and Method for Visually Impaired
2016 A Split Grip Cane Handle Unit with Tactile Feedback for Directed Ranging
2014 Muti-modal infotainment device for interactive braille learning
2014 A Compliant Mechanism Design for Refreshable Braille Display using Shape Memory Alloy

Media & press coverage

Times of India, Economic Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Better India and more have featured AssisTech Group as a part of IIT Delhi showcasing our approach, effort and impact.

Hindustan Times logo
Times of India logo
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About Us

ASSISTECH is an inter-disciplinary group of faculty, research staff and students, which is engaged in using modern technology for finding affordable solutions for the visually impaired. The focus is on mobility and education which we consider are fundamental to enable any person to live independently and with dignity. Apart from working on specific solutions based on needs identified by the users themselves, we hope to create an eco-system that helps sensitize and ignite a number of young minds towards real day-to-day challenges of the differently abled.

Our Approach

Research & Development

Ideation, research and development of affordable assistive devices and technologies for independent mobility, education and independent living of visually impaired through a confluence of embedded system, mechanical and industrial design.

Translational Research

Bridging the gap between lab prototypes and products with end users through collaborative translational research and field testing with industry partners and user organizations.

User Engagement

Direct involvement of user groups for ideation, prototyping and testing. A holistic user centric design and co-creation model encompassing technical, societal and usability aspects of devices.

Awareness and Diffusion

Public sensitization towards the accessibility needs of persons with special needs. Raising awareness about assistive technology solutions in the user community. Aiding training and dissemination efforts to reach needy persons.

Our Team

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Contact Us

Assistive Technologies Group (Assistech)
Assistech Lab, Room No. 009
Amar Nath and Shashi Khosla School of IT
Indian Institute of Technology
Hauz Khas, New Delhi – 110016

Email: assistech.iitd@gmail.com
Phone No.: 011-26596080
Center of Excellence in Tactile Graphics (COETG)
Room no 503, 4th Floor
Bharti Building, IIT Delhi,
Hauz Khas, New Delhi- 110016

Collaborators