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Hobarts installs a second ILS system in the UK
Hobarts - the only company supplying the complete ULS range in the UK - has sold and installed a second ILS Industrial Laser System in the UK. The machine, an ILS 12.150 was commissioned in July 2010.


€1.5 million R&D grant awarded by to Hobarts

Hobart Lasers of  West Malling, Kent has been awarded a grant by the European Commission worth €1,500,000 (£1.35 million) to fund the development of a computer screen for the blind and visually impaired.

ANAGRAPHS is the acronym for Anaglyptic Refreshable Photo-Haptic Screen.

The project is to develop a portable 3-dimemsional computer screen e-Book reader for blind and visually impaired people to read Braille. It will use an infra-red laser and polymer MEMS technology to form Braille letters.

It is thought the technology has possibilities in other areas, for example, maps. These could help visually impaired people navigate their way through transport systems such as the London underground.

This technology will revolutionise the opportunities for those with special needs, helping them to compete in the workplace, help with their education and giving them the opportunity to enjoy the arts.

Hobarts of West Malling, Kent, is the project team leader and project co-ordinator who will act as project co-ordinator and will assemble the various components of the Anagraphs system into an integrated whole.
Hobarts lead an international consortium including the UK Materials Research Institute, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems as well as companies in UK, Denmark and Greece.

According to the World Health Organisation an estimated 180 million people worldwide are visually impaired of whom 135 million have low vision and 45 million are blind.

Commenting on the project, Lucy McNaughton, Managing Director of Hobart Lasers said “This unique product will give the company new opportunities and access to an estimated market of €100 million in Europe and €400 million worldwide”.

For futher information please email: info@hobarts.com