[optacon-l] Re: [optacon-like] Re: Optacon article from January 2009 Braille Forum
- From: Linda Gehres <ljgehres@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:04:25 -0800
Jim, your ideas are fabulous! I'll be glad to help further this project in any
way I can.
On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:27:12 -0600, Pat Byrne wrote:
>I'm ready to order one.
>Thanks Jim!!
>Pat ByrneAt 10:43 AM 1/26/2009, you wrote:
>>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
>>>
>>>To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>>>
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>>>quotes) in the message subject.
>>>
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>>>
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>>>quotes) in the message subject.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>to view the list archives, go to:
>>
>>www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>>
>>To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>>
>>optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without
>>the quotes) in the message subject.
>>
>>Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to:
>>
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>
>to view the list archives, go to:
>
>www.freelists.org/archives/optacon-l
>
>To unsubscribe at any time, just send a message to:
>
>optacon-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" (without the
>quotes) in the message subject.
>
>Tell your friends about the list. They can subscribe by sending a message to:
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- » [optacon-l] Re: [optacon-like] Re: Optacon article from January 2009 Braille Forum - Linda Gehres
