Andy develops his free time ‘board buddy’ for visually impaired Eline (13), now she can finally read what the teacher on the chalkboard

Beveren 13-year-old Eline Janssens if Friday as the first " my board buddy’ to the test, a device that allows them the smartboard in the front of the class with a convenient joystick, you can magnify on its own screen. The ingenious device was developed by Andy Mylle from Ichtegem of the Jabbeekse company Sensotec. It is remarkable that he in his spare time did.

Eline has a strongly reduced visibility and must be at school in the Eastern part of Flanders, Beveren, Sint-Maarten Middenschool, to make do with a few indispensable tools: a bordcamera to the classroom to be able to see an electronic magnifier to the material to increase. She missed, however, an important link: for digital projections such as that of a smartboard, however, these tools are inadequate. “Especially if the teacher or classmates with a marker notes that,” says Eline. “That for me were just barely visible. I sit with a whole arrangement back in the classroom. I put sometimes my hands if I can not follow, but that is of course very annoying.”

Also on the market

The problem of Eline was already signalled at the company Sensotec from Jabbeke devices develops, and sells for children with a visual impairment. “The story of Eline has been with me a sensitive chord had been touched,” says Andy Mylle (36) from Ichtegem, employee at Sensotec. “That girl bumped each against the same wall. More and more schools are now using eboards. When the camera of the magnifying glass that projections increases, it lowers the quality tremendously. The image is very gepixeld and contrastarm. Compare it with taking a picture of your tv screen. I am with the problem started in my free time, and so the ‘My board buddy " was developed. That can digital projections without any loss of quality increase. I am at the beginning of november started with the development and am then to the board of directors stepped in with the question of whether I should develop. After the new year is Sensotec than on the cart jumped. The company will also on the market in both Belgium and abroad.

Tested and approved

The ‘My board buddy " is a small and easy in use device with a handy joystick and colorful buttons. “We have tested it with children and who were there in a rocker way”, says marketing manager Sofia Boone. “The student does not need pc to operate and the image quality is superior. Even at maximum magnification there is a vibration and pixelvrij image. In addition, the user can choose to invert colours, what reading sometimes makes it easier. We are convinced that this innovative tool also for other people with a visual impairment are very valuable.”

In the clouds

Eline is already in the clouds with her "board buddy". “It was pretty frustrating when I'm in the classroom, the lesson could not follow. I want to, after all, not always but my hand must learn to ask what exactly. I'm just now in the exam period, but I look forward to soon with this device in the classroom to get started.”