This ₹2 device lets the blind ‘read’ currency notes
The
home-designed ‘Tiffy template’ epitomises frugal innovation at its best
June 21, 2016:
Every
time Tiffany, 25, went shopping in Thiruvananthapuram, she ended up getting
short-changed –– literally.
Shopkeepers
who had no qualms about taking advantage of her visual disability would often
slip her a ₹10 note and pass it off as a ₹20
note.
When
she complained about it to her Bengaluru-based friend and inventor Paul
D’Souza, he came up with a solution.
He
designed a small credit card-like device made of PVC, with step-down edges on
one side.
By
folding the notes over this tool, a visually challenged person can identify any
Indian currency –– thanks to differences in the length and breadth of notes of
various denominations.
For
instance, if someone wants to confirm if he or she has been given a ₹10
or a ₹20 note (which have the same length
but different width), they can fold the note against the device and check if it
sticks out on the sides.
If
it does, it’s a ₹20 note, which is wider. Besides,
there are also instructions in braille markings on the device to guide the
visually impaired.
The
₹5 and ₹1,000
notes, however, don’t fit the template.
Frugal
innovation
To
dedicate the invention to his friend, D’Souza named the device ‘Tiffy’. “The
Tiffy template is a clever, original and practical device. The sheer simplicity
of the tool is ingenious,” says Ranganathan Thota, founder of fueladream.com, a
crowd-funding platform, which is currently raising funds to distribute the
device free to the visually impaired .
At
just ₹2, the Tiffany template is a shining
example of frugal innovation, but it’s got more going for it. “It can help the
visually impaired identify currencies much faster than smartphone apps designed
for that purpose,” says D’Souza.
Most
Indian currency notes have the same width, which renders it difficult for the
visually impaired to tell them apart. While every note has a tactile marking
that identifies the denomination, they tend to fade out over time with wear and
tear.
New
RBI notes
Last
year, the RBI announced it would introduce ₹500
and ₹1,000 notes with enlarged
identification markings along with bleed lines. “It’s easy to identify if it’s
fresh off the mint,” says D’Souza. “But it’s harder with an old note that’s
been in circulation,” he added.
With
five patents already to his credit, D’Souza is not filing a patent for the
Tiffy template. For now, he is just happy to see the smile back on Tiffany’s
face.
Source | Business Line | 22 June 2016
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
Best
Paper Award | Received the Best Paper Award at TIFR-BOSLA National Conference on
Future Librarianship: Innovation for Excellence (NCFL 2016) on April 23,
2016. The title of the paper is “Removing
Barriers to Literacy: Marrakesh VIP Treaty”
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