What is TelliTurn?

 TelliTurn lets you turn digital or printed pages with facial cues.   

  You simply give a facial cue, and TelliTurn turns a page either forward or backward on a digital device or with a physical robot. It has a very small footprint and is very easy to carry around and set up.

•  TelliTurn is reliable and durable 

It detects facial cues in real time with adjustable sensitivity. TelliTurn only responds to specified facial cues with extensively tested algorithms. The breakthrough permanent roller technology of the robot allows turning of more than 500 pages before a simple cleaning is needed.

• TelliTurn is adjustable and programmable

The actions of the robotic arm can be programmed by its user. The length and position of the arm can also be adjusted.  Sensitivity to facial cues can be adjusted by users to account for difference among individuals.

•  TelliTurn is for people from all walks of life 

TelliTurn is for anyone who needs to handle documents while their hands are occupied for other tasks. They include medical workers, lab workers, musicians, teachers, chefs, readers and more. 

•  TelliTurn is an assistive technology to increase accessibility for people with physical disabilities 

It allows individuals with reduced mobility of limbs to handle pages easily. Future development of TelliTurn will enable them to navigate computers using just facial cues.

• TelliTurn works from near and far

Its working range depends on the capability of the camera on the device. With a relatively new digital device, the working range can easily reach above 15 feet. This allows users freedom for other tasks. 

TelliTurn’s Technology

This patent pending technology depends on deep learning based computer vision to detect human faces and locate facial features. Human facial cues are detected as specific changes in facial features. These cues are used to generate commands to execute tasks with a digital or physical robot.

•  Evolution of TelliTurn 

   TelliTurn started with the idea to make a hands free robot. In stage I, a vibration sensor attached to a user was planned to be used to produce signals for a robot to turn printed pages. After extensive testing, this approach was not pursued further and  I decided to use facial cues as the signals to turn pages. A controlling software needed to be developed to detect and analyze facial cues and to send corresponding commands to the robot. At this stage, I also decided to develop page turning applications for digital media. I subsequently developed such applications for both Android and iOS systems. As shown in stage II, an application was used to detect facial cues and control the robot. In stage III, I packaged all components into a sealed box to give the system a streamlined look. In stage IV, I further reduced the footprint of the robot by placing it behind the surface of a music stand, leading to the corresponding changes on the robotic arm which now has an elbow connector.  In stage V, the page pickup pad was replaced with a roller for smoother actions. In stage VI, a longer elbow connector was made so that the length of the arm and the vertical position of the roller is adjustable. 

• What’s next for TelliTurn Technology

I envision that an integrated camera on the robot will further simplify the setup and reduce its footprint. On the digital media aspect, I plan to extend the capability of TelliTurn to other manipulations such as computer navigation.

Budget Outline

•  Project Cost 

•  Budget table 

 Timeline: When will I get one? 

   The project was conceived over a few years and the development plan was finalized in early 2018. Currently, I have working prototypes for the software and a robot. I am asking for your support to further this project. When the project is funded, I expect to have the production release of Android and iOS software in December 2020. With further improvement and refinement of the robot, I expect to finalize its design in March 2021 and production in June 2021. Your support for this project is critical to its smooth progress according to this timeline.

The TelliTurn People  

    I am deeply interested in applying modern technology in our daily life. Currently a freshman in high school, I have over 6 years of experience with robotics and computer coding. The progress of this project would have not been possible without the strong support of  my parents, both financially and logistically. I would like to thank Mr. John DeLellis of Williamsville East High School for his support on 3D printing; Mr. David Strathern, Mr. Mark Doyle, and Dr. Ping Liang for their insightful comments; and others who helped with  the project.

Working Prototypes and Testing 

The following videos demonstrate the working prototypes of TelliTurn for both digital media and physical pages. I hope that they further convince you to back the project so I can bring it to the world to help others to turn pages. 

This video shows the basic functionalities of TelliTurn Digital and TelliTurn Robot.  

This video shows a real life example of using TelliTurn Digital in piano performance, pay attention to the page turning actions.      

This video shows how to set up TelliTurn Robot to practice music:   

 Rewards