[optacon-l] Re: [VICUG-L] FW: [leadership] CCNY-LED TEAM RECEIVES $330,000 FROM NSF
- From: "Mark Blier" <mblier@xxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2008 14:06:57 -0700
Hi, All,
I have also investigated the Video-Tim, and if I had the money, I'd get =
one, Euro exchange rate notwithstanding, because of the access to both =
text and graphics that it would bring.
The killer is the price, which is why a cheaper solution will be sought.
My heart's desire still is to have a vibrationless form of Optacon, or =
something similar, regardless of heretofore failed developments.
If we are expected to learn and use graphics, then the tools must be =
developed rather than hitting us with rhetoric.
Mark Blier
----------
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Dan Tevelde" <dan.tevelde@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 5:17 PM
Subject: FW: [VICUG-L] FW: [leadership] CCNY-LED TEAM RECEIVES $330,000 =
FROM NSF
I'm just passing this information along to point out that many people =
are
trying to address the graphical needs of the blind. Since I am in =
chicago I
might contact the professor from Northwestern University. Another =
source of
information all of you might check out is www.elialife.com. They are =
the
company which developed the tactile alphabet called the elia alphabet =
for
the blind. It was developed for older adults who have lost their =
vision.
The company is also interested in graphics technology and is working =
with
people from the National Standards Institute who have pattented =
lower-cost
Braille display technology for the blind. I called the company last =
week
and they are interested in hearing from blind computer users. Another
source of technology which might help us all is haptics. Haptics =
technology
is a way of causing a surface to vibrate to produce a tactile image. =
This
is used in medical school with devices which are used to simulate =
medical
procedures like surgery where the student can 'feel' the inside of a =
human
body when moving a controller attached to a computer or touching a touch
screen. The controller simulates the operation of medical instruments =
like
a scalpel when the controller is moved around on a mouse pad like a =
mouse.
Both apple and Nokia have pattented touch-screen haptic keyboards. The =
use
of controllers or touch screens could be very helpful since this is
something sighted people are doing already.
All of this goes to show that things are happening in this field. I =
think
it will take time for people to figure out the best approach and what
materials can be mass-produced to make affordable products for the =
blind.
My final comments are about the videotim. I talked to the developer and =
he
stated that he couldn't get many people in Germany interested in the
product. The blind people he worked with weren't interested. Another
factor which would make the videotim expensive for people in the U.S. is =
the
exchange rate between the dollar and the euro. Since the dollar is =
weak,
products from Europe are more expensive and this has nothing to do with
blindness. That is all I'm going to say on the subject of graphics. If =
any
of you are interested in finding out about research subscribe to the
blindNews e-mail list from the ACB website. You can also use Google to =
find
out about lots of research which is going on in this area. I think the =
best
thing to do is keep informed about technology news, make more blind =
people
aware of the importance of graphics literacy, and advocate for research =
and
products in this area. If blind people can be persuaded that they need
graphics maybe some products could come on the market. I also think one
selling point for graphics is that for older people going blind they =
could
use products where they touch information in a graphical format. At =
least
they would be touching information in a form similar to what they had =
been
able to see. The number of elderly blind people will continue to =
increase
and I suppose more of them will be computer-literate and want to keep =
using
computers.
This is why I think a list like ours is valuable where people can =
exchange
ideas and collect data. Catherine has worked so hard at collecting data =
to
make a case for the optacon and she should be commended maybe some kind =
of
award for the blind.
Dan
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
[mailto:VICUG-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter Altschul
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 2:39 PM
To: VICUG-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [VICUG-L] FW: [leadership] CCNY-LED TEAM RECEIVES $330,000 FROM =
NSF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wed. Nov 07, 2007
Contact: Ellis Simon, 212/650-6460,=20
esimon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
=20
CCNY-LED TEAM RECEIVES $330,000 FROM NSF TO DEVELOP 'DYNAMIC TACTILE
INTERFACE' FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED COMPUTER USERS=20
=20
NEW YORK, November 7, 2007 - A team of researchers from five =
institutions,
led by The City College of New York (CCNY), has been awarded $330,000 =
over
three
years from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a tactile
surface that can facilitate communication between visually impaired and
blind persons
and computers.
=20
Currently, visually impaired and blind computer users need access to =
Braille
keyboards that cost several thousand dollars and can only handle text.
"We're
trying to make a cheaper device that would receive information tactilely =
and
also be able to receive graphic information," said Dr. Ilona =
Kretzschmar,
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at The Grove School of
Engineering at CCNY and principal investigator on the grant.
=20
Besides Professor Kretzschmar, the team includes:
=20
list of 4 items
. Dr. Karen Gourgey, Director of the Computer Center for Visually =
Impaired
People at Baruch College.=20
. Dr. Thrasos Pappas, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science at Northwestern University.=20
. Dr. James E. West, Research Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University.=20
. Dr. Leigh R. Abts, Professor of Education and Engineering at =
University of
Maryland.=20
list end
=20
The project is titled "A Dynamic Tactile Interface for Visually Impaired =
and
Blind People." It proposes to use an electronically addressable and
deformable
polymeric film to develop the interface device.=20
=20
The interface will consist of three layers: The bottom layer will be a
touch screen connected to a computer for audio feedback to communicate =
the
position
touched on the screen. The middle layer will have embedded isolated
electrodes to address segments of the polymer top layer. The top layer =
will
consist
of an electro-active polymer film covered with a thin gold film. =
Segments
of the top layer can extend out from the surface as voltage is applied =
from
the corresponding electrode in the middle layer.
=20
"In a world that increasingly depends on graphical, pictorial and =
multimedia
technology, visually impaired and blind people have struggled to keep =
up,"
Professor Kretzschmar said. "If we can develop a viable dynamic tactile
interface that allows graphic and pictorial information to be presented =
in
real
time in tactile rather than visual space, the amount of information
available to visually impaired and blind individuals will increase
dramatically."
=20
Professor Kretzschmar is producing Janus particles - particles with two
halves and named for the Roman god Janus - to be added to the polymer =
film
to increase
its electro-active properties and run mechanical functions. The film =
will
then be tested to measure its addressability, maximum elongation, =
durability
and readability.
=20
Through focus groups with both sighted and blind individuals, =
researchers
expect to obtain feedback on how touch can best convey visual graphic
displays,
how much the material needs to change for optimal tactile detection and =
what
is the best way to receive the information. Further studies will test
tactile
interface parameters and fine-tune those parameters for optimal =
apprehension
and interpretability. By the end of the third year, the team expects to
have
built a prototype dynamic tactile tablet.
=20
Development of a dynamic tactile interface will result in deeper
understanding of the touch sense, its relation to vision and sense
substitution, the researchers
say. The tactile polymer technology could find application in other =
areas
that rely on tactile perception, e.g. sensory materials used in virtual
reality,
robotics and medical applications.=20
=20
In addition, it has the potential to be inexpensive and widely =
applicable to
undergraduate engineering student design projects. Some of these could =
lead
to other custom-designed devices for people with physical disabilities.
=20
About The Grove School of Engineering at CCNY
=20
The Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York, =
formerly
the CCNY School of Engineering, is the only public engineering school =
within
New
York City. It offers Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees in seven =
fields:
biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical
engineering
and computer science. The School is recognized nationally for the
excellence of its instructional and research programs and ranks among =
the
most diverse
engineering schools in the country. On November 28, 2005, the CUNY =
Board of
Trustees named the School in honor of Dr. Andrew S. Grove, a member of =
the
CCNY Class of 1960, and a co-founder and former chairman of Intel Corp., =
the
world's leading producer of microprocessors.
=20
About The City College of New York
=20
For 160 years, The City College of New York has provided low-cost,
high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines.
Over 14,000
students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in the College of =
Liberal
Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture, the School of Education, =
the
Grove School of Engineering and the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical
Education.
=20
Additional Media Contacts:
=20
BaruchCollege, Carol Abrams, 646-660-6114,=20
cabrams@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
=20
The Johns Hopkins University, Phil Sneiderman, 443-287-9907,=20
prs@xxxxxxx
=20
Universityof Maryland, David Ottalini, 301-405-4076,=20
dottalin@xxxxxxx
=20
Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, =
Outlook
prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
=20
Eric Bridges
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind=20
Phone: (202) 467-5081
Fax: (202) 467-5085
=20
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