Technologies for the Blind
From: Design Engineering - 12/16/2004

A collaborative venture between University of California, Santa Cruz,
researchers and the nonprofit Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute has
yielded prototype assistive devices for the sight-impaired that use computer
vision technologies stemming from robotics research. A team of students led
by UCSC professor Roberto Manduchi has developed a flashlight-sized "virtual
white cane" that takes range measurements via laser, in combination with a
digital camera and a computer processor that scans and meshes spatial data as
the user waves the device over a scene. The device emits audio signals to
alert the user about distances as well as obstacles, and future prototypes
will be equipped with a tactile interface. Manduchi and Smith-Kettlewell
researcher James Coughlan are collaborating on a system that employs a
camera-outfitted device to sense and collect data from small, cheap,
maintenance-free colored tags or labels that can help blind users navigate
and reach specific destinations. A third project, described by Manduchi as
"MapQuest for the blind," aims to enable users to explore electronic maps
using vibrations generated by a "force-feedback mouse." The project focuses
on the software component of the force-feedback mouse, as the interface
itself is readily available. Manduchi remarks that "The people at
Smith-Kettlewell are helping us to understand the real needs of the blind,
and they have blind engineers who test the systems we develop."  

Read the entire story at:
http://www.e4engineering.com/story.aspx?uid=b5b19391-05af-4b59-924a-2e7d3174ed52&cuid=b96dad81-0ef4-4fcc-9e3d-a7bd9b6a4258

Links:
http://biomedical.ucsc.edu/Manduchi.html
http://currents.ucsc.edu/04-05/12-13/laser.asp
http://www.ski.org/Rehab/ComputerVision/James/