LAS VEGAS - The Filipino inventors of a remote control for the vision-impaired are among the honorees at an international consumer tech competition held in Las Vegas.
Every year, select products at international Consumer Electronics Show (CES) get awarded in a competition that honors the best in engineering and design.
Competition among manufacturers is fierce as engineers strive to conjure up fresh ideas and prototypes that top last year's products.
This year, one company from the Philippines successfully managed to do just that. They have garnered the attention of the voting body of the CES innovation awards, the Consumer Electronics Association.
"I came up with TV user interface which came out from excruciating thousands of hours in experimentation and the end product of it is an elegant design which is in every detail brings out an intuitive experience for the consumers,” said Dante Olivar.
Olivar is XCrool founder and CEO from Taguig, Philippines. He wanted to develop a remote control that not only promises to be hassle free, but also beneficial for consumers who are visually impaired.
"You can actually scroll the volume and the channel even with your eyes closed. We've been using this for quite a while and it's very useful," he said.
Olivar's invention has been patented in 100 countries but is actually manufactured in China.
"The perforated keypad has slits in between the buttons so relieving 90 percent of pressure on joints which is perfect for people with disabilities, people with arthritis and people with impaired movement, and of course, the senior market," he said.
Olivar believes that the future of innovation is staying analog in a digital world. His originality is creating a remote control that is not only user friendly but truly Pinoy-made.
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source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
