Pixels Help Guide the Way for the Visually Impaired
From: NASA Tech Briefs - 03/18/2013

Images transformed into pixels and projected onto a headset can help the
visually impaired in everyday tasks, such as navigation, route planning, and
finding objects. Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC hope the
pixels, which were developed using a video camera and mathematical algorithm,
can provide more information and enhance the vision of patients already
fitted with retinal implants.  

During the study, subjects were fitted with a head-mounted display (HMD) and
took part in three different experiments: walking an obstacle course, finding
objects on an otherwise empty table, and searching for a target in a
cluttered environment. A video camera was mounted onto the HMD, which
collected information in the view of the subject. Mathematical algorithms
converted the images into pixels, which were then displayed onto the HMD's
screen in front of the subject.  

The subjects learned to adapt to pixelated vision in all of the tasks,
suggesting that image-processing algorithms can be used to provide greater
confidence to patients when performing tasks, especially in a new
environment.  

Read the entire article at:
http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/16051

Source:
http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/47527/pixels-guide-the-way-for-visually-impaired/

Journal article:
Performance of visually guided tasks using simulated prosthetic vision and saliency-based cues 
http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/10/2/026017