DigInfo - www.diginfo.tv
The "Book Time" automatic page turner from Nishizawa Electronic Measuring Instruments is a reading support robot that mechanically imitates the same basic finger movements that are used by humans to turn a page. The robot was developed and commercialized through a collaborative effort between industry, government, and academia. The page turner features an arm with a rubber pad that lifts up the corner of the page. A rod that moves like a wiper is then inserted from the bottom of the page and as the rod moves in a wiper like fashion, pages are smoothly turned one at a time. Necessary operations can be achieved by lightly pressing on a button or sending a signal using a breath switch, and with this design, people who are not able to turn the pages of a book on their own can read books at their own pace. The robot is essentially designed to improve quality of life of the physically challenged and reduce the burdens of caretakers.