Arun Mehta

2021-06-24T19:13:06Z

5.36.124.31:

{{Infobox person
| name = Arun Mehta
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| nationality = Indian
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| occupation = Software developer
| alma_mater = [[IIT Delhi]]<br>[[Stony Brook University]]<br>[[Ruhr University]]
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'''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 Masters 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/accessibility/dcad/Pages/MEHTAArun.aspx|title=MEHTA Arun|website=www.itu.int|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> 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]].

== eLocutor ==
[[File:Gross Witten Hawking TIFR 2001.jpg|thumb|Hawking (''sitting, right'') during Strings Conference at TIFR, in 2001]]
During a tour to India in 2001,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2001/01/16/stories/01160007.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128105829/http://www.thehindu.com/2001/01/16/stories/01160007.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-11-28|website=[[The Hindu]]|title=Stephen Hawking meets President|date=2001-01-16|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010115/nation.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Nation|website=www.tribuneindia.com|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> [[Stephen Hawking]] delivered lecture in an international physics conference dedicated to [[String theory]] held at [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], [[Mumbai]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49727764|title=Strings 2001 : proceedings of the Strings 2001 Conference, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, January 5-10, 2001|date=2002|publisher=American Mathematical Society|others=Dabholkar, Atish., Mukhi, Sunil., Wadia, S. R. (Spenta R.)|isbn=0821829815|location=Providence, RI|oclc=49727764}}</ref> It was during this time, Hawking, suffering from [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]], contacted Mehta and Crishna<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/134616/stephen-hawking-talk-elocutor-arun-mehta-vickram-krishna/|title=Meet The Indian Engineers Who Helped Stephen Hawking Get His Voice Back|date=2018-03-16|work=The Better India|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en-US}}</ref> along with several other software companies to write the replacement for the software he was using for the computerised machine fixed to his wheelchair, to communicate with others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnis.org/news.php?issue_id=23&volume_id=2&news_id=294&i=6|title=Local scientist writing software for Prof Hawking - Volume 2 Issue 23: Disability News and Information Service for India|website=www.dnis.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> Mehta and Crishna developed eLocutor, a free and open source single-button typing and speaking software.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/how-did-stephen-hawking-talk-the-indian-connection-to-british-theoretical-physicists-conversations/1099748/|title=How did Stephen Hawking talk? The Indian connection to British theoretical physicist’s conversations|date=2018-03-15|work=The Financial Express|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/174040370|title=Beautiful code : [leading programmers explain how they think]|date=2007|publisher=O'Reilly|others=Oram, Andrew,, Wilson, Greg, 1963-|isbn=9780596510046|edition=1st|location=Beijing|oclc=174040370|chapter=When a button is all that connects you to the world}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/video/872052/video-meet-the-two-indian-engineers-who-helped-stephen-hawking-talk|title=Video: Meet the two Indian engineers who helped Stephen Hawking talk|last=Rawat|first=Astha|work=Scroll.in|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27897348|title=Technology and competitiveness : the case of Brazilian and Indian machine tools|last1=Peter|first1=Wogart, Jan|date=1993|publisher=Sage Publications|last2=Mehta |first2=Arun|last3=Kapur Mehta|first3=Aasha|isbn=9780803991200|location=New Delhi|oclc=27897348}}

== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Arun}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian software engineers]]
[[Category:Free software programmers]]
[[Category:IIT Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Ruhr University Bochum alumni]]
[[Category:Stony Brook University alumni]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

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Arun Mehta