ULTRATEC REF MINICOM III
Year First Appeared
1986
Creator
Robert M. Engelke
A portable telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD/TTY) manufactured by Ultratec Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin. This microprocessor-based text telephone enabled deaf and hard-of-hearing users to communicate over standard telephone lines by transmitting typed text via an acoustic coupler.
Importance in Internet Culture
The Minicom III was among the first truly portable and affordable TTYs, featuring a rechargeable battery and compact design that freed deaf users from desk-bound equipment. Ultratec's commitment to affordability, the original Minicom launched at under $200 in 1981, created a mass market for TTY technology and catalyzed the accessibility standards that would inform digital communication design for decades.
Interesting Fact
Robert Engelke designed the first Ultratec TTY by fitting miniature electronics into the plastic housing of a surplus electronic calculator. The Minicom III's distinctive rubber acoustic cups on top, designed to cradle a telephone handset, were a direct inheritance from Weitbrecht's 1964 design, refined for better reliability.