A wallet with ‘eyes’: help for the visually challenged with currencies

Anyone with normal vision would need just a quarter of a glance to distinguish a ₹50 note from a ₹500 note. For a visually impaired individual, any effort in that direction would require dependence on others. The Tamil Nadu state branch of National Association for the Blind (NAB) is seeking to cut out that dependence by distributing “Vision Wallets” to visually impaired individuals. On March 13, at its office in Kodungaiyur, it distributed these Vision Wallets to 15 visually impaired women, to mark International Women’s Day. The 15 are part of a batch of 250 visually impaired individuals across Tamil Nadu to receive this assistive device. The Vision Wallets are sponsored by Synamedia India Pvt. Ltd., Tharamani; Reachem Laboratory Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.; and the Rotaract Clubs. Applications would open after this batch of 250 are served.

What is a Vision Wallet anyway? Developed by H Vision India Pvt. Ltd., the device allows users to instantly identify currency denominations and detect counterfeit notes without relying on a smartphone or internet connectivity. It resembles a conventional men’s wallet fitted with a compact electronic module. Embedded sensors detect the currency note and relay the denomination through audio output in Hindi and English. Specially designed grooves guide the note into position from any corner, enabling the sensors to read it accurately and announce the value almost instantly without internet connectivity.