Giving Colors a Voice From: Sensors Magazine - August 2003 - page 12 That man in the yellow suit, green shirt, and purple tie might be trying to keep the spirit of Mardi Gras alive in January, or he might simply be color blind. And the woman buying a sack of grey snap beans is probably blind, period. Now they have handheld help. The Color Teller can recognize 42 colors and speak their names in English, French, or Spanish. The unit incorporates an optical sensor that closely matches the spectral response of the human eye to a corresponding range of colored LEDs. It has built-in temperature compensation, and can eliminate the effect of a colored ambient light. Housed in durable plastic, with the sensor protected by an unbreakable clear window, the Color Teller has a wrist strap that keeps it within easy reach while allowing the user to use both hands for chores. And here’s a really slick feature - the operator can optionally hold a switch down, scan the items of interest, then bring the unit up to an ear and release the switch to hear the verbal report. This adds an element of privacy and also is handy in noisy environments. For those who need just a general idea of color, there’s a setting that reduces the 42 candidates down to 13. A battery test function advises that the long-life lithium cell is at high, medium, or low status. Contact: John Davey, PE Brytech Inc. Ottawa, ON CANADA 613/731-5800 http://www.brytech.com/ mediarelations@brytech.ca