Tom Binford has been a respected researcher in computer vision. He spent most of his career at Stanford university leading research in computer vision. Many current prominent researchers in computer vision today were his students. He is now building handwriting recognition technology that could be used ranging from tablet PC to forms. The importance of this technology has been recognized for quite some time, but this has been a difficult problem to solve. Definite progress has been made in this area. It is now possible to get good recognition on tablet PC systems now. Tom founded a company, Read-Ink, to address this problem. He made another interesting decision 4 years ago – he will build this company in Bangalore where he could attract IIT students from different IITs in different parts of India to address this problem. Tom and his wife Ione Binford moved to Banglaore and established their operation with the goal to stay put and build it as a Bangalore company.
Yesterday evening we had dinner with Tom, Ione, Arun Katiyar, Mrinalini, Aveek, and Mithila at the club house in Palm Meadows. Aveek is a bright young man who is determined to design cars. His knowledge about car design is impressive so are his skills in that area. Give that he just graduated from high school and is in his first year of college, I think he has potential to be a star. Mithila a sweet and intelligent 10 year old girl. Mrinalini and Sudha seem to have some similarities in their habits and interests. Mrinalini is a baker – the chocolate bread that we ate was very delicious.
It was one of the most enjoyable and memorable evenings. Palm Meadows is a replica of an upscale neighborhood from California. Very impressive place both in terms of the physical facilities, maintenance, and the people who live there. It was nice for my family – Neil, Suzi, Adolfo, and Sudha – to meet Katiyar family and meet Binfords after about 15 years. Neil And Suzi met Tom and Ione when they were very young – Neil was 5 and Suzi 14 –yet even Neil remembered them well.
So this was a unique evening in which we met with some old friends from northern California and some new (but feel like old) friends in Bangalore but in very California setting.
I am very interested to know more about those small but high-tech start-up companies like Read-Ink and Ione Binford which are looking for foriegn investments. I am now considering to explore the possibility and potential of convincing some Japanese Investment companies to invest in this type of companies. For that it would very
helpful if the information is provided in PROPOSAL FORM. As for my brief introduction I was born at Shillong(India), brought up in
then East Pakistan, and working and living in Tokyo. I am now a Japanese citizen.
Dr. Chowdhury,
Thanks for your comments here and your e-mail.
I’d be happy to help you. I already responded to your mail.
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hi, i read your feelings. good.
Can you do small favour for me??
can you pls tell me how many companies in bangalore are working on Handwriting recognition?? is it still unsolved problem?? Its jus a curiosity as i already worked in that field.
mail me if you can at ramakrishna_be2004@yahoo.co.in
Thank you so much, big friend.
I only know Tom’s company in Bangalore.
I think hand writing recognition will be a huge topic in the coming months – especially if Apple releases its new tablet based PC which has been rumored to be in the works.