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    Assistive technology interfaces for the blind

    132712_StreamGate.pdf (620.4Kb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Calder, David
    Date
    2009
    Type
    Conference Paper
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Calder, David. 2009. Assistive technology interfaces for the blind, in Okyay Kaynak and Mukesh Mohania (ed), International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technology (DEST 2009), pp. 318-323. Istanbul, Turkey: IEEE.
    Source Title
    Proceedings of the international conference on digital ecosystems and technologies (DEST 2009)
    Source Conference
    International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technology (DEST 2009)
    ISBN
    9781424423453
    Faculty
    Curtin Business School
    The Centre for Extended Enterprises and Business Intelligence (CEEBI)
    School
    Centre for Extended Enterprises and Business Intelligence
    Remarks

    Copyright © 2009 IEEE This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17832
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Assistive technology devices for the blind are portable electronic devices that are either hand-held or wornby the visually impaired user, to warn of obstacles ahead. Many assistive technology devices use ultrasonic pulse-echo techniques to gauge subject to object distance. Some use infrared light transceivers or laser technology to locate and warn of obstacles. These devices exhibit a number of problems, the most significant of which are related to the interface display that conveys navigation/obstacle warning information to the user. Other sensory channels should not be compromised by the device. This is exactly what can happen when, for example, audio signals are used in obstacle warning on/off displays or more significantly in orientation solutions, where continuous streams of synthetically generated stereo sound mask the natural ambient sound cues used by the blind. Despite the challenges, the commendable feature all these assistive device developers have in common is; they are striving to help a section of the population with a severe disability. Even if there is only partial success in this endevour to assist the blind, the small companies that produce these devices all have the right motive. That is a big step in the right direction. The author has attempted to address some of the problems mentioned in this paper by producing a first working prototype. Improvements to this original design form the basis for ongoing prototype development within the DEBI Institute at Curtin University.

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