[ADRIANE]

ADRIANE - Audio Desktop Reference Implementation and Networking Environment

In the framework of the free Linaccess-Project, which KNOPPER.NET is a member of, free software (especially GNU/Linux) solutions for barrier-free access to computers and internet services are researched, collected, developed and packaged. From this cooperation, the ADRIANE project has been initiated, which uses KNOPPIX-technology for hardware detection and automatic configuration.

GOAL

Implementation of an easy-to-use desktop system, which can be used entirely without vision oriented output devices. Especially access to standard internet services like email, www, chat, and using mobile phone extension services like SMS and MMS (over the users own mobile phone via bluetooth) are supported.

MEDIA

Live-CD based on Debian/Knoppix, which should also be easy to install.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Especially blind people, who have no or very few computer skills, and/or have had bad encounters with graphic-focused computer interfaces with a badly designed graphical screenreader audio adapter. But also people with normal vision, who prefer an uncomplicated textual user interface with a step-by-step menu interface, instead of an icon/animation-overloaded and over-complex graphical desktop.

STATUS

A dialog-based menu, supported by speech output (optional: with USB or bluetooth braille device), provides access to various programs and functions, for example speech-aided surfing in the internet through the elinks web browser, email with mutt, note-book, pocket-calculator and contact-management, sending and receiving of SMS via bluetooth-capable cellphone. All supported functions can run on the text- or framebuffer-console, but in case it's needed, elinks can also display pictures and graphics on the framebuffer without an X-Server running. With manual installation and individual settings, the system is already a good start für computer beginners. ADRIANE is included in the KNOPPIX live distribution starting from version 5.3.

TECHNOLOGY

Currently, ADRIANE uses the SBL (SuSE-Blind-Linux Screenreader & More from Marco Skambraks with a few extensions by Klaus Knopper), and festival as phoneme generator, plus transitional mbrola as speech engine for the german voice.

TODO

The proprietary-"noncommercial" mbrola will be replaced by a native and GPL-licensed festival-voice for german language, so that the system can also be used in a commecial context (like for places of employment, paid installations etc.). In the distributed version, currently espeak is being used, which is a fully synthetic, but also completely free speech engine. The menu is being extended with useful addons. A configuration menu for "advanced users", who want to install and configure the system on their own, should be added step-by-step. User-level Documentation for the main applications must be written and updated (though most of the programs are quite easy to figure out on their own), also for the default keyboard/speech functions that are available.

Sponsors / Contributors

Development of the first live cd is supported by:

For development of an indian language (Hindi/Devanagari) version:

Conducted by Ms. Deepika Mangla, Delhi, India

Special Thanks must go to Ms. Ruth El Abed for her organisation and help, without which the project would not have been possible.

ADRIANE in the press

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