The Dr. Bill Takeshita Foundation

Last Modified: Thu, 16 Aug 2007

Enhanced Vision Flipper

The Flipper is a very small and compact camera that can connect to a television, computer monitor, or a notebook computer and display magnified images of distance presentations and reading material. The camera can be carried in the palm of your hand and thus can be easily transported from school or work to home. The color camera has auto-focus and can display images in color, high contrast white, background with black letters, and white letters on a black background. Users can simply place the camera on the reading material and roll the camera from left to right while reading. The camera can then be swiveled to focus on the chalkboard or other distance presentations and display the image on the monitor. The Flipper is also available with spectacle goggles that display the image on the LCD goggles. There is also a LCD flat panel monitor that can be easily carried with the camera from one location to another while running on rechargeable batteries.

The Flipper is an excellent solution for students who require assistance to read items from the board and also require video magnification for reading. The Flipper does not allow students to write easily unless a special optional mounting table is used to elevate the position of the camera.

The Flipper is extremely versatile in that it can be connected to a notebook computer, television set, or a portable LCD monitor. When connected to a notebook computer, the Flipper can display images of the chalkboard, handouts, and other objects and store the image on the computer. At thome, the Flipper can be connected to a television set and be used for extensive reading. For those who do not use a notebook computer, the Flipper can also be connected to a LCD monitor and be carried easily in a travel case. We found the Flipper to be an excellent choice for those who need to focus on distant objects but do not need a video magnifier to print.

Clarity Deskmate and Clarity Carrymate

The Deskmate is a video magnification system that can be carried from one location to another to help students and adults to see distance presentations as well as to read memos and handouts. The Deskmate consists of a camera and a 17-inch LCD flat panel monitor. The camera can be swiveled to focus on distant objects and then flipped down to focus on reading materialson the desk. The camera can also be swiveled to focus on your face to help with grooming or putting on make-up.

The Deskmate is recommended for students who must copy extensive amounts of materials from the board and also need a video magnifier to see their reading materials. The camera can change focus from far to near very quickly and accurately with a remote control. The Deskmate is also an excellent solution for adults who have difficulty seeing Power Point presentations and other distant objects.

We evaluated the Desk mate and the more portable Carry mate . Both systems produced a very sharp image and the auto-focus camera focused quickly and accurately on both distant and near objects. We were very impressed with the length of the battery life for both models. The Carry mate was easier to transport with its 10 inch screen. However, the Desk mate provided more room to place larger books under the camera. We believe that the Desk mate and Carry mate are excellent solutions for students and employees who need a portable video magnification system that can be carried from one location to another.

The Clarity PC Mate is an excellent option for those who use a notebook computer. However, users must be aware that the images may be jerky if your computer does not have a advanced video card. We found the PC Mate to work best with notebook computers designed for video gamers.

MSRP: Desk Mate: $2945 with 17-inch screen (battery not included)
Carry Mate: $2795 (includes battery)