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Arun Mehta

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Arun Mehta
NationalityIndian
Alma materIIT Delhi
Stony Brook University
Ruhr University
OccupationSoftware developer

Arun Mehta is an Indian software developer and a disability activist. At the request of Stephen Hawking, he, along with Vickram Crishna, developed a free and open source software named eLocutor, to allow nonverbal disabled people to write and speak.

Early life

Mehta obtained a B.Tech. degree from IIT Delhi in 1975, a master's degree in computer sciences from the Stony Brook University. After that, he worked with Siemens AG in Erlangen for three years. As a fellow of Friedrich Ebert Foundation, he joined the PhD program of the Ruhr University in 1982.[1] After returning to India, Mehta joined Indata Com Private Limited as the Managing Director. During this time, he developed a software for early detection of Alzheimer's disease, for the University of Pittsburgh.[citation needed]

eLocutor

Hawking (sitting, right) during Strings Conference at TIFR, in 2001

During a tour to India in 2001,[2][3] Stephen Hawking delivered a lecture in an international physics conference dedicated to String theory held at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.[4] It was during this time, Hawking, suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, contacted Mehta and Crishna[5] along with several other software companies to write the replacement for the software he was using for the computerised machine fixed to his wheelchair, and to communicate with others.[6] Mehta and Crishna developed eLocutor, a free and open source single-button typing and speaking software.[7][8][9]

Bibliography

  • Peter, Wogart, Jan; Mehta, Arun; Kapur Mehta, Aasha (1993). Technology and competitiveness : the case of Brazilian and Indian machine tools. New Delhi: Sage Publications. ISBN 9780803991200. OCLC 27897348.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

  1. ^ "MEHTA Arun". www.itu.int. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Stephen Hawking meets President". The Hindu. 16 January 2001. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. ^ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Nation". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  4. ^ Strings 2001 : proceedings of the Strings 2001 Conference, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, January 5-10, 2001. Dabholkar, Atish., Mukhi, Sunil., Wadia, S. R. (Spenta R.). Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society. 2002. ISBN 0821829815. OCLC 49727764.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ "Meet The Indian Engineers Who Helped Stephen Hawking Get His Voice Back". The Better India. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Local scientist writing software for Prof Hawking - Volume 2 Issue 23: Disability News and Information Service for India". www.dnis.org. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  7. ^ "How did Stephen Hawking talk? The Indian connection to British theoretical physicist's conversations". The Financial Express. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  8. ^ "When a button is all that connects you to the world". Beautiful code : [leading programmers explain how they think]. Oram, Andrew,, Wilson, Greg, 1963- (1st ed.). Beijing: O'Reilly. 2007. ISBN 9780596510046. OCLC 174040370.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ^ Rawat, Astha. "Video: Meet the two Indian engineers who helped Stephen Hawking talk". Scroll.in. Retrieved 17 March 2018.