Dear all,
this might be interest.
thanks and regards
Asif
----- Forwarded by Mohammed Asif Iqbal/IN/M&C/PwC on 06/18/2007 09:51 AM -----
"Rao, Shekar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
06/16/2007 09:41 PM
To Mohammed Asif Iqbal/IN/M&C/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
cc
Subject RE: hello from Asif
Dear Asif,
Great to read your email!
I am happy to tell you that RP International (RPI), the nation’s leading
non-profit organization fighting Retinitis Pigmentosa and other degenerative
eye diseases, announced it will honor Texas Instruments for its many
contributions to the organization and technology developments that assist the
blind. Beginning with a speech recognition computer donated to the
organization years ago, TI has since supported RPI and its cause through
technology development and research. The award will be presented to Gene
Frantz, TI’s principal fellow and digital signal processing (DSP) visionary,
during its annual fundraising event held on June 15th at the Beverly Hilton
Hotel in Beverly Hills. Frantz helped revolutionize speech synthesis
technology using DSP while leading the design team for the Speak ‘n Spell in
the 1970s. DSP technology is now found in many medical applications, including
devices that assist the blind.
“Technology makes a difference everyday in how the blind interact with the
world and TI has consistently been there offering its support,” said Helen
Harris, founder and inspiration behind RPI. “For taking the initiative to help
RPI from our earliest days and consistently pushing the envelope on how to
apply technology to reduce the impact of blindness, I proudly recognize Texas
Instruments with this 2007 Vision Award.”
On behalf of Texas Instruments, Frantz said, “Many of the technology pieces
required to restore a level of vision are well understood and being tested
today. I praise Helen for her tireless efforts in pushing TI and all
technologists to develop increasingly innovative solutions that can change
people’s lives.”
Signal processing in real-time is critical to applications involving sight and
sound because of the speed at which the body can process and respond to
information. TI analog and digital components provide that “real-time”
connection to the external world. These chips have been included in a number
of devices designed to assist the visually impaired, including a speech
recognition computer that reads back text and converts speech to text; a
TheatreVision set-top box that adds audio commentary and scene descriptions to
movies and TV, enriching the entertainment experience for the blind community;
and a processor that translates incoming information from retinal implants to
deliver sight to the blind. Led by a team at the University of Southern
California, a limited number of patients have received early versions of these
implants and, today, are helping researchers test and improve this technology.
Asif, I work closely with Dr. Mark Humayun, a leading Opthalmology Surgeon who
is leading the team at University of Southern California. We are exploring
putting a tiny digital camera inside the eye communicating with an array of
sensors connecting to the Retina and the Optic Nerve. In about five ten years,
patients will be able to see a lot more than a few pixels which they can now.
Exciting stuff – stay tuned. I’ll tell you about the progress.
Shekar Rao
Worldwide Manager Medical Electronics Solutions
Texas Instruments Incorporated
12500 TI Boulevard, MS 8677, Dallas, Texas 75243, USA.
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