[optacon-l] Re: Optacon article from January 2009 Braille Forum
- From: "Lori Castner" <loralee.castner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:46:55 -0800
Jim,
I think your draft is very exciting and the specificity of detail is
important. You include much information in a compact readable format. And
where do we go from here?
Lori Castner
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Bliss" <jamescbliss@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 8:43 AM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Optacon article from January 2009 Braille Forum
> Mary,
> Thanks for sending the Optacon article. It inspired me to write the
> following draft of new Optacon ideas. I would be interested in any
> feedback
> from the Listserv.
>
> Jim Bliss
>
> *New Optacon Design Ideas*
>
> *by James C. Bliss*
>
> *1/26/09*
>
> * *
>
> The Optacon was designed in the late sixties at the dawn of
> integrated circuits, silicon photocell arrays, and before microprocessors.
> The
> design was based on extensive experiments with human subjects, blind and
> sighted, that used computer simulation of various designs to determine the
> most effective for reading text.
>
> The final design incorporated a novel array of tactile stimulators
> composed
> of piezoelectric reeds, or bimorphs, a custom integrated array of silicon
> photocells, and custom integrated circuits of shift register/bimorph
> drivers.
>
> The custom integrated circuits and unique piezoelectric reeds,
> together with the small market, made the Optacon a difficult product to
> source parts and manufacture. However, for those that mastered its use,
> the
> Optacon filled an essential need. Even though the Optacon has been out of
> production for over fifteen years, there are still over 150 avid users
> trying to maintain their Optacons and demanding a new Optacon.
>
> Now, almost 40 years after the original Optacon design,
> advances
> in technology make possible a new Optacon design that could have greater
> resolution, be easier to learn and use, and could have features that would
> greatly extend the applications of use.
>
> To reach the widest possible market, it is important to keep
> the
> simplicity of the original Optacon while enabling new capabilities and
> applications. Below are my thoughts on design possibilities that could be
> considered. Not all of these ideas may be worth developing, but
> considering
> them to assign priorities could help the process toward a new Optacon.
>
>
>
> I. Resolution and Field of View
>
> The original Optacon was designed around an array of 24 rows
> and
> 6 columns of pixels that drove a corresponding array of 24 rows and 6
> columns of bimorph tactile stimulators. The 24 by 6 was based on tests
> with human subjects that indicated this was the minimum number of pixels
> for
> reading and tracking text at a practical speed. Actually, if you consider
> 24 pixels across a 0.1 inch letterspace, this is equivalent to only 240
> dots/inch compared to the 300 dots/inch typically considered to be the
> minimum needed for OCR. Also, the Optacon's 24 pixels across a 0.1 inch
> letterspace is equivalent to a visual resolution of only 20/40.
>
> In addition, reading with an Optacon requires the user to move
> the hand held camera along a line of text. The limited field of view of
> the
> Optacon camera requires this scan to be very precise; else the images of
> the
> text are cut off. So reading would be easier and faster if the field of
> view of a new design could be greater, thereby relaxing the precision
> needed
> for line tracking.
>
> Thus, for ease of tracking and reading a wider range of text
> fonts and text quality, more pixels would certainly be better, analogous
> to
> the greatly enhanced picture quality resulting from the recent television
> change from a 480 line interlaced scan to a 1080 progressive line scan.
>
> Fortunately, advances in technology make an improved resolution
> and field of view possible at a reasonable cost. Therefore, I believe
> that
> a goal of basing a new design on 36 vertical pixels to provide both
> improved
> resolution and greater field of view should be considered.
>
> Unfortunately, the Optacon II, which was designed by Canon, had
> only a 20 by 5 array. This reduction in resolution and field of view was
> one of the reasons reading is more difficult with it.
>
> In the original Optacon design, the pixels were not square, but
> rectangles that were twice as wide as they were high. This is because
> when
> camera is moved along a horizontal line of text the letterspace is sampled
> in the vertical direction, but an analog signal is obtained horizontally
> across the letterspace. All of the image information can be obtained from
> one column of pixels moved horizontally across the letterspace. However,
> tests with human subjects clearly showed that reading accuracy increased
> as
> more columns were added.
>
> Based on these considerations, I suggest that a new design have
> 12 columns across the same horizontal field of view as the original
> Optacon.
> Thus, the newly designed Optacon's pixels would be square, with the
> vertical
> and horizontal resolutions being the same. The 36 by 12 array would
> increase the number of pixels to 432, compared to the 144 in the original
> Optacon, perhaps justifying a name for the new model as "Optacon HD" for
> "high definition".
>
>
>
>
>
> II. Tactile Array
>
> In the past 40 years, there have been some significant advances
> in piezoelectric materials. Several years
>
> ago there was a study at Stanford University that indicated the bimorph
> reeds in the Optacon tactile array could be half as long as in the
> original
> design. This would allow incorporating the increased number of bimorphs
> in
> approximately the same space as before.
>
> A complaint about the Optacon has been the noise that it makes.
> This noise comes from the bimorphs, which are being driven by a 250Hz
> square
> wave, a frequency of maximum tactile sensitivity. This provides a strong
> tactile sensation. The bimorph reeds were designed to be at near
> resonance
> at this frequency to consume a minimum amount of power from the battery.
> After
> the Optacon design was finalized and production had begun, we discovered
> this noise was greatly reduced if the bimorphs are driven with a 250Hz
> sine
> wave instead of a square wave. This is because the human ear is much more
> sensitive to the harmonics of a square wave than to the fundamental 250 Hz
> frequency. However, we never had the opportunity to test whether there
> was
> any detrimental effect on the tactile sensation when a sine wave drive is
> used instead of a square wave. In a new design this should be tested and
> the sine wave used if desirable.
>
> At Telesensory the assembly of the tactile array was labor
> intensive requiring considerable skill. Modern manufacturing techniques
> including robotics could help reduce this cost.
>
>
>
> III. Retina Module
>
> When the Optacon was designed, no suitable integrated solid
> state arrays of photocells were available, so a custom design was
> developed
> in the Stanford Laboratories. Finding and maintaining sources for this
> custom part at the relatively low quantities needed made Optacon
> production
> difficult and expensive. Now integrated solid state arrays of photocells
> are widely used in digital cameras, web cams, cell phones, etc. Thus in a
> new design, a standard off-the-shelf part should be used if at all
> possible.
>
>
>
> IV. Lens Modules
>
> The original Optacon lens is not a true zoom lens because only
> the lens is moved to change the magnification. This meant that the image
> is
> only in true focus at two points along the zoom range and out of focus at
> the ends and middle of the zoom range. The amount of out of focus is
> sufficiently small to not be a problem given the low resolution of the
> original Optacon retina. Because of the increased resolution I'm
> suggesting
> in a new design, a better zoom system will be required. Actually, one of
> the Optacon prototypes built at SRI and Stanford did have a zoom system
> that
> moved both the lens and the retina to keep the image in true focus. This
> did not change the size of the camera and would not be a significant
> increase in cost after tooling for production.
>
> Various lens modules, such as the typing attachment and CRT
> screen module, were very important for the Optacon market because they
> increased employment applications. While these particular accessory lens
> modules are not as important today, others could be developed for
> producing
> handwriting, reading LCD screens, viewing and taking pictures at a
> distance,
> etc.
>
> In addition to image signals from the Optacon camera, an
> independent signal indicating camera movement should be considered. While
> sometimes this can be derived from the camera images, there may be
> situations in which it may be desirable to have signals from the lens
> module
> rollers.
>
>
>
> V. Electronics
>
> Since the original Optacon was designed before microprocessors,
> the electronics did not include a microprocessor, however Optacon II did
> and
> any future designs most certainly would. In addition, a new design could
> include some image storage as well as a port for an external memory
> stick. This
> would enable camera scans to be stored for later retrieval and/or further
> processing on a PC.
>
> OCR and synthetic speech capability could be built into the
> Optacon electronics. These capabilities, together with the storage
> capability, means that the new design would need to have file handling and
> other software built-in.
>
> A very important control on an Optacon is the threshold, which
> determines the photocell signal level between black and white. Especially
> for poor quality print and for different colored print, how the threshold
> is
> set can determine whether the text is readable or not. For precision
> threshold setting, I think this part of the circuitry should be analog
> with
> a high resolution potentiometer. Unfortunately, in Optacon II this
> control
> was digital with too few bits for precision.
>
> In addition to threshold and tactile stimulator intensity,
> there
> would need to be some additional controls, or buttons, similar to those on
> a
> "point and shoot" digital camera, for deleting images from storage,
> cycling
> through a menu, etc.
>
>
>
> VI. Ports
>
> A new design could have a port for the camera (possibly
> wireless), a port for power (batteries could be charged in the Optacon or
> on
> a separate charging station), a port for a memory stick, and a USB port
> for
> sending camera images to a PC, for enabling the PC to write on the tactile
> array, and for enabling new software to be installed in the Optacon.
>
>
>
> VII. Battery
>
> The Optacon II design was an improvement in battery convenience
> over the original Optacon and a new Optacon design could improve things
> further. A system with readily available batteries that the user could
> easily replace and charge should be the goal.
>
>
>
> VIII. Packaging
>
> The Optacon II design was an improvement in packaging over the
> original Optacon and a new Optacon design could improve things further.
>
>
>
> IX. PC Software for the Optacon
>
> By providing a new Optacon with a USB port where camera images
> can be transferred to a PC and the PC can write tactile images on the
> Optacon means that the basic simplicity of the Optacon can be maintained
> while providing the possibility of adding many new features for expanding
> Optacon use. Some examples are:
>
>
>
> A. Optacon Reading Lessons and Speed Building
>
> Optacon training was essential in producing so many people that
> were successful in Optacon use. Teaching someone to use an Optacon
> effectively was a labor intensive process. The most successful Optacon
> training programs involved one teacher full time for every student for
> several weeks. Since the seventies when these programs started, labor
> costs
> have dramatically increased relative to the cost of technology.
>
> However, with the widespread availability and increased
> capability of PCs, it is now feasible to develop software that could
> automate at least part of the training process. The PC could write
> letters,
> words, and text on the Optacon tactile screen, build speed by presenting
> these at various rates, test student progress, and provide feedback
> through
> synthetic speech.
>
>
>
> B. Speech and Braille Output
>
> By OCR processing the images from scans from the Optacon
> camera,
> the PC could provide speech or Braille output. Several tactile
> stimulators
> could be combined to simulate a Braille dot on the Optacon's tactile
> screen.
> Speech and Braille files could be stored in the PC in addition to image
> files.
>
>
>
> C. Optacon Screen Reader Software
>
> Optacon screen reader software could be developed in which
> images from the PC screen were displayed on the Optacon tactile array.
> The
> PC mouse could be used to move the field of view of the tactile image
> around
> on the screen. This could be particularly useful in understanding screen
> layout, viewing graphics on the screen, and in formatting documents.
>
>
>
> X. Conclusion
>
> I believe that developing and disseminating a new Optacon along
> the lines described here would significantly enhance the educational and
> vocational opportunities, as well a personal independence, of blind people
> around the world. I've described a design that would preserve the basic
> simplicity of the original Optacon, greatly improve the quality of the
> tactile image, and make tracking along a line of text easier. By adding
> the
> capabilities of memory storage and communication with a PC, new features
> could be developed to make reading easier and faster through speech and
> Braille, and that would expand Optacon applications. These design ideas
> need to be evaluated by the blindness community.
>
> My guess is that the development of this basic Optacon alone
> could cost several million dollars. (The PC software and other
> accessories
> could be developed later by third parties.) However, the relatively small
> market coupled with the cost of development and the difficulties of
> selling
> to this market will discourage private companies from taking on such a
> project. The situation is analogous to that with low incidence diseases
> where biopharmaceutical companies don't develop treatments unless there is
> some consideration such as "orphan drug status".
>
> The hope for bringing back a new Optacon might rest on
> obtaining
> grant support for development and dissemination from private foundations
> or
> government. For this to be viable would require strong support from the
> blindness community and leadership from an organization with the
> capability
> of accomplishing the task.
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 5:40 PM, Mary Emerson
> <maryemerson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
>> Here it is, below.
>> PLEASE BRING BACK THE OPTACON!
>> by Pam Coffey
>>
>> For many years, my faithful print-reading aid was the Optacon,
>> distributed
>> by Telesensory Systems, then in Palo Alto, Calif. For those of you who
>> are
>> relatively
>> new to blindness issues, this was a tactile scanner. Weighing about four
>> pounds, it was extremely portable. It had a rechargeable battery pack and
>> AC
>> adapter,
>> making it usable when the power went out or you were far from an
>> electrical
>> outlet. It was unusually dependable (my Optacon had to be repaired only
>> three
>> times), and it was incredibly versatile.
>>
>> To use this device, you placed the camera, which wasn't much larger than
>> a
>> finger, onto what you wanted to read. The camera, connected to the main
>> unit
>> by a long cable, picked up what was directly underneath it, and the
>> electronics within the main unit converted it into tactile vibrations
>> according to
>> the shape of the character under the camera. The vibrations registered on
>> a
>> little plate, called the array, which was in the main unit. You moved the
>> camera
>> with your right hand and read the vibrations with your left index finger.
>> The reading was quite slow -- you read only one character at a time --
>> and
>> considerable
>> training was required in order to use the device. But increased
>> proficiency
>> came with experience, and the rewards were great, because you had
>> absolute
>> control over what you read.
>>
>> Because the camera rested on the material to be read, you could read
>> things
>> that were curved, such as labels on soup cans or medicine bottles,
>> without
>> first
>> removing the label. You could make adjustments for the size, color, and
>> boldness of the print, as well as for the intensity of the vibrations. If
>> the text
>> was complicated by graphics, insets, sidebars and other such things,
>> you --
>> and not the machine -- decided how best to deal with them. While you
>> might
>> not be able to decipher the minute details of a picture, you could
>> determine its size, shape, and other basic characteristics. Because the
>> device did not
>> talk to you, your imagination gave voice to what you read, as it does
>> when
>> you read braille or a sighted person reads print.
>>
>> When you turned the machine on, you didn't have to wait for it to warm
>> up,
>> and you didn't have to wait for it to scan an entire page -- it was "read
>> as
>> you go." There was even an optional magnifying lens for extremely small
>> print, and an optional typewriter attachment which enabled you to read
>> what
>> you
>> were typing.
>>
>> When, in October of 2003, my 26-year-old Optacon let me know that it
>> needed
>> a fourth repair, I discovered that not only were they no longer being
>> made,
>> but also that no one was servicing them. Therefore, because I am always
>> needing access to printed materials, my only choice (since I am not a
>> computer
>> geek) was to invest in one of the new-fangled speech-output stand- alone
>> scanners. I finally decided on one that was relatively small (about 14
>> pounds),
>> and that didn't require a technician to set it up. This was important, as
>> I
>> would soon move from a fair-sized house into an apartment, and because I
>> am
>> not much of a techie.
>>
>> I soon found myself at the mercy of the machine. I waited for it to boot
>> up, then waited for it to scan a whole page, then, once I was reading, I
>> hoped
>> it didn't decide to power down by itself or the power wouldn't go out and
>> I'd lose what I was reading. Because the material lays on a flat screen,
>> it
>> must
>> be perfectly flat in order to be read properly -- which means peeling the
>> label off the soup can. If the material has those complications mentioned
>> above,
>> you either endure a considerable wait for everything to process, or you
>> are
>> given an announcement such as "no text is recognizable." Also, you have
>> no
>> way of knowing how the material is laid out on the page, and things
>> really
>> get interesting if the page is larger than the screen. In that case, I
>> scan
>> part of it at a time, then jump back and forth between the segments --
>> possible, but often exasperating. This was not an issue with the Optacon.
>> As
>> long
>> as the cable would reach, it made no difference.
>>
>> True, you can read faster with the newer machines, but only when no
>> quirks
>> appear and no scanning delays occur. And yes, you can save material for
>> later
>> use with these machines, which is nice and often convenient, but if the
>> power surges while you are feeding the material in, you lose it. In
>> addition, you
>> cannot use them without electricity. While, overall, the reading voices
>> of
>> these scanners are very good, they sometimes have difficulty dealing with
>> regional
>> dialects, foreign words, and abbreviations which can be used for several
>> different words (e.g., Dr. can mean "doctor" or "drive"). The machine
>> chooses
>> one interpretation for an abbreviation, when the text might refer to the
>> other. In addition, you may get the same announcement when a page is
>> utterly
>> blank
>> as you do when it is totally covered by a non-captioned picture. With the
>> Optacon, on the other hand, if the page was blank, the array didn't
>> vibrate
>> at
>> all. If the page was covered by a graphic, the whole array might vibrate.
>>
>> Finally, there is the dependability issue. Because the newer, more
>> computer-like scanners are so complex, there are more things that can go
>> wrong with them.
>> After less than two years, my speech-output scanner had to go across the
>> country for repairs, and then two more times over the next seven and a
>> half
>> months.
>> In light of this inconvenience, I invested in a second scanner (of a
>> different brand) in order to have a backup. This second scanner then
>> became
>> my main
>> one. Three months after the warranty expired, it had to go to a
>> neighboring
>> state for repairs -- then again after another six months. Because these
>> scanners
>> are larger, shipping them for repairs is quite expensive. My Optacon, on
>> the other hand, only needed its first repair after seven years.
>>
>> Now don't get me wrong; I am grateful for any means of being able to read
>> print, but as one who always preferred braille over talking books, I feel
>> that
>> I (and others of the same persuasion) should be given a choice as to how
>> we
>> all read printed materials. My plea: Someone out there with the know-how
>> to
>> do so, please bring back the Optacon!
>>
>> to view the list archives, go to:
>>
>> www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>>
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>>
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>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
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>>
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>> quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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