The Kindle Keyboard is a pretty good e-reader for adults. The VTech V.Reader, not so much. By combining them together, though, Glenn Johnson built the best of both worlds for his sister with cerebral palsy. The Frankenreader, as he calls it, not only provides easier-to-press controls for Amazon’s device, but also adds a number of macros (mapping whole sequences of instructions to a single key) by way of Arduino software and a Teensy++ USB development board. See the result for yourself in the video below. It’s not pretty or portable, but it definitely looks functional, and if you’d like to build one of your own, Johnson has kindly provided full instructions and schematics at the source link below.
Kindle hack adds children’s e-reader controls; uglier yet more accessible
Glenn Johnson combined a Kindle and a VTech V.Reader to create a more accessible e-reader for his sister with cerebral palsy.
Glenn Johnson combined a Kindle and a VTech V.Reader to create a more accessible e-reader for his sister with cerebral palsy.
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
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