Prototype System Allows Blind to 'See' 
From: AScribe Newswire - 03/18/2004

Wright State University (WSU) researchers, in conjunction with Arizona State
University (ASU), have developed a prototype wearable device dubbed "Tyflos"
that allows blind people to perceive their surroundings via audio
information. Tyflos consists of camera-equipped glasses wired to a laptop
carried on the user's back; the system identifies the images the camera picks
up and converts them into audio descriptions piped into the user's ear, while
the user can control the system vocally with a small microphone. Leading the
WSU researchers in Tyflos' development is Ohio Board of Regents Distinguished
Professor of Information Technology Nikolaos Bourbakis, who plans to conduct
system trials with visually handicapped students in conjunction with the WSU
Office of Disability Services. "The Tyflos camera captures images from the
surroundings, and the portable computer reconstructs the 3D space for motion
detection, body tracing, face recognition and moving objects," Bourbakis
explains. "This will make it possible for the blind and vision impaired to
improve their independent mobility and social interaction, while succeeding
in their professional endeavors." Bourbakis adds that the project employs
cutting-edge robotics and computer vision technology. An extension of the
Tyflos system will allow visually impaired individuals to independently
navigate their surroundings, while a pair of future extensions will assist
blind users in artistic pursuits such as writing and drawing. The project is
underwritten by a four-year $1.1 million National Science Foundation grant
awarded to WSU and ASU. 

http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20040318.134756&time=14%2048%20PST&year=2004&public=1
http://www.wright.edu/cgibin/news_item.cgi?663
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040319071850.htm
http://csdl.computer.org/comp/proceedings/bibe/2001/1423/00/14230230abs.htm


Seeing-Eye Computer Guides Blind
From: Wired News - 03/30/2004
By: Louise Knapp

Visually handicapped people could be guided by iCare, a portable,
computerized "seeing" assistant developed by researchers at Arizona State and
Wright State universities. ICare's hardware components include a pair of
glasses outfitted with cameras, which record images that are converted to
verbal messages by a laptop the user carries in a backpack; the user wears a
headset to receive the messages and a microphone to make queries. Wright
State's Nikolaos Bourbakis says the images captured by the camera are
processed by computer algorithms that extract data to give the user
information about the object or person he or she is facing. ICare's greatest
strength up to now is its ability to convert text into a synthesized voice
via optical character recognition software and other tools that can account
for variant illumination and viewing angles; "It's as fast as a sighted
person could read a book," boasts blind ASU computer science student David
Paul. The iCare-Reader can translate menus and labels as well as books, but
its ability to translate handwritten text needs to be improved. Web site
navigation is another iCare application, although its usability is limited if
users cannot access the pages they want because they cannot see the mouse
cursor, notes ASU disability research specialist Terri Hedgpeth; to address
this problem, the ASU researchers devised a software interface that deploys
keyboard shortcuts that close the distance between the screen-reader software
and Blackboard software. Bourbakis says the iCare-Human Recognizer module can
identify people by comparing their eye color, hair color, and facial features
to those of individuals stored in its database, although this ability is only
accessible under specific lighting conditions and at a particular viewing
angle. Finally, the iCare-Scene Analyzer examines the user's surroundings and
can help the user navigate by providing data about key objects--exits,
impediments, and so on--that are identified through database comparisons. 

http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,62810,00.html