Back in April we brought you a device that researchers at Purdue University had developed to make it easier to read while running on a treadmill. But the infra-red goggles and tracking cameras that translated a runner’s movements to the text they were reading was clunky, and no where near as easy to use as the new Run-n-Read clip-on sensor promises to be.
It’s basically the exact same idea as the Purdue system, but it appears to be a lot more refined. The compact sensor tracks the up and down movements of a runner, and transmits them via Bluetooth to an Android or iOS reading app which subtly moves the text they’re reading in sync with their motions.
The Run-n-Read sensor can also be used to flip pages back and forth by giving it a tap or a double-tap, and even doubles as a fitness tracker by keeping tabs on how many steps you’ve taken.
The device is available for pre-order today on Dragon’s new crowdfunding platform, and while the final retail version will cost over $US100, those who donate earliest can get a Run-n-Reader for as cheap as $US40. Of course like any crowdfunded product there’s always a risk, but the prototypes demonstrated in the video below appear to work as promised. And the hardware needed to make this work isn’t that complex or expensive, it mostly relies on software that cleverly uses the data being collected, which is exactly what’s being done here. [Run-n-Read]
