Orbit Teacher FAQs

This Application is free

This application works on Android version 4.4 or higher

You can update after every 3 months

The app connects over Bluetooth to the student’s Orbit Reader 20 braille display and provides a real-time text translation of the braille being read or

written by the student on the device.

It works in online and offline mode

This app is available on the google play store.

To obtain the license key, one should contact techsupport@orbitresearch.com by providing the following details:

• Your name
• Serial number of device
• Address
• Email id
• Phone number
• Organization (if you represent any)

The license number will be shared by mail within 3 working business days

In online mode, you have to connect your Orbit Reader 20 (OR-20) and Orbit Teacher over Bluetooth.

1. Once it is connected, the OR-20 braille display is mirrored on the Orbit Teacher application. Anything that you see on your Orbit Reader’s display in braille, is shown on your Orbit Teacher as well, in both text and braille
2. In offline mode, you do not need to connect your Orbit Reader 20 with the Orbit Teacher. Offline mode allows you to browse files from the local storage of your Android device and read the file with navigation options similar to the OR-20. It is intended for reading files.

Yes, it does ask for the following permission:

1. 1. Access Bluetooth Settings: This permission is required so that if the Bluetooth is turned off at the time of using the Orbit Teacher, it can request the user to turn on the Bluetooth.
   2. Approximate Location: This Permission is required because Android relies on-location services to retrieve the identity of the nearby Bluetooth devices.
   3. Storage: The application needs permission to let to read a text/BRF file from the storage. The application will not modify or delete any storage contents.

Note: On denying any of the above permissions, the application will not work properly.

It supports the following file formats:

1. TXT
2. BRF
3. BRA
4. BRL

Yes, files can be transferred from the Orbit Teacher application to Orbit Reader 20 and vice versa.

Rebooting the Android device; Reset the OR-20 unit and try again.

• Check to make sure that the OR-20 unit is not in sleep mode and is not connected with any other device, screen-reader software, or any other application through Bluetooth.
• Reset the OR-20 unit and try again

• Broadcast mode allows Orbit Reader 20 to be connected with up to 7 Orbit Teacher applications running on different android devices over Bluetooth.
• It can send messages to all the connected Orbit Teacher applications. This feature can be enabled from OR-20.

• Enables teachers in mainstream classrooms to seamlessly interact with blind students through an app on a smartphone, computer, or tablet.
• Connects over Bluetooth to the student’s Orbit Reader 20 braille display and provides a real-time text translation of the braille being read or written by the student on the device.
• Provides a student the ability to first learn braille if they are not braille users and then to learn other subjects using braille.
• Provides the ability to develop and deliver educational materials in the form of interactive lessons and tutorials.
• The platform also provides remote operation capabilities which allow a teacher to easily provide instruction to students in remote locations.
• A content authoring tool for the platform enables anyone to create interactive lessons and tutorials, with minimal training.

• In the classroom where TVI wishes to monitor live the assignments visually impaired student is doing on his Orbit Reader 20 through online mode.
• Where TVI wishes to review the homework or assignments done by students later through offline mode.
• By family members and well-wishers helping visually impaired students with their homework and assignments through online or offline mode.
• Visually impaired teachers working with sighted students, can prepare content in braille and show it to the students in text over a smartphone, computer, or tablet.

• A file transfer feature is also available to exchange files between the Orbit Reader 20 and the phone or tablet
• Can display visual text contents for the BRF files of multiple languages
• It has a broadcast mode that enables a single Orbit Reader 20 to be connected to multiple Hosts and share the Orbit Reader 20 display with multiple applications
• Audio and speech capabilities from the smartphone, PC, or tablet to provide audio cues and feedback to the student when used in the interactive self-learning mode
• Support for Over 40 languages

• The app connects over Bluetooth with the Orbit Reader 20
• When the user reads/writes on the Orbit Reader, the Orbit Reader 20 display screen content is transmitted to the phone or tablet and instantly displayed on the app and shown as braille as well as visual text.

Yes, this application will let you read your content in braille, while students can read the same contents in the text by connecting the PC on which the application is running to the projector.

• Remote operation capabilities which would allow a TVI to easily provide instruction to students in remote locations.
• Interactive features on the app using which TVI can have control over the Orbit Reader 20 and can perform operations or edits using the app itself.

No, at present, the file can be transferred only within the standard Bluetooth range. However, the file can be transferred to a PC or Mobile using the app and then can be sent to the Teacher remotely over email or other means working over the internet.

Files can be transferred either way i.e., from Program to Orbit Reader and vice versa.

• The App is available NOW and is FREE! It can be downloaded from the Google Play store at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orbitteacher
• An Android version is available at this time. In the future we may introduce an iOS version also
• A bundle consisting of an Orbit Reader 20, an Android tablet, and the app pre-loaded is also available for $699 (retail). This is by far the most affordable communications solution available for deaf-blind individuals, by an order of magnitude.

For our internal purposes, we wish to know the actual numbers of users who are using the platform. We wish to collect feedback from them as well.

License for the single unit can be activated on multiple Android or Windows devices. There is no limit on that. Infect, the same license key can be used to activate support on multiple mobiles and PCs too for the windows version.

Support for the Orbit Teacher on other operating systems, including iOS, is planned. We would like to invite feedback from users about which operating systems they would like to see supported and will keep you updated.

We can do so provided the required funding is available.

• If you are reading text file on Orbit Reader 20, they are shown correctly as it is on the app.
• If you are reading BRF files, they need to be back-translated before the textual content can be shown. Following languages are supported for the back-translation at present.

Please write to us at techsupport@orbitresearch.com

Please write to us at techsupport@orbitresearch.com

Please write to us at techsupport@orbitresearch.com