Bangalore, Dec 15, 2022:  A made-in-India products of Indian startup focussing of technology for the differently abled, Tinkerbell Labs, has been recognized by TIME magazine  as one of the Best Inventions  of 2022,in the accessibility category.
‘Polly’ is the US variant of their patented product Annie, which is the World’s First, Remote-Enabled, Self-learning Braille literacy device, developed in partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Both Polly and Annie are electronic Wi-Fi-enabled devices that will assist users in learning and reinforcing braille concepts and include contracted and uncontracted braille.
“Our first Annie Smart Class was set up in Ranchi in 2018. Today, we have more than 50 Annie Smart Class centers across 16 States in India. Annie is now available in 8 Indian languages.” says Dilip Ramesh, Co-founder and CTO of Tinkerbell Labs
“Polly is an excellent example of a successful collaboration resulting in a product with a significant impact. We have only begun our journey in India, and we look forward to partnering with more such organizations who share our vision and scale our innovations across India,” says Sanskriti Dawle, Co-founder and CEO of Tinkerbell Labs.
Polly is named after Polly Thomson, who spent 46 years as Helen Keller's companion and interpreter. Polly is currently being field tested, with plans for an official launch date in 2023. This is a significant milestone for Indian Startups making a breakthrough in the USA.
Tiinkerbell Labs, propelled by its recent accolades presented by MIT Solve, National Startup Award, and Shark Tank India, among others, is building the Future of Inclusive Education. With the launch of Polly, the team is one step closer to achieving its vision of 100% Braille literacy across the globe.

Time  citation of Polly:
When visually impaired children learn braille in a classroom, their teachers can let them know how they’re doing. But many of those students don’t have braille readers at home to help them. Now they can use Polly—a wi-fi-enabled device developed by American Printing House for the Blind and Tinkerbell Labs that provides braille learners with instant audio feedback and allows teachers to assign and assess homework remotely. Instead of a standard metal or plastic slate used with paper, learners can write (and correct mistakes) using Polly’s electronic braille slate and stylus—the world’s first.
Link to Time Best Inventions feature here.
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