scholarly journals Multi-Sensory Color Code Based on Sound and Scent for Visual Art Appreciation

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. 1696
Author(s):  
Luis Cavazos Quero ◽  
Chung-Heon Lee ◽  
Jun-Dong Cho
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Art Appreciation ◽  
Code System ◽  
Color Code ◽  
Identification Rate ◽  
Color Palette ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
Sensory Color

The development of assistive technologies is improving the independent access of blind and visually impaired people to visual artworks through non-visual channels. Current single modality tactile and auditory approaches to communicate color contents must compromise between conveying a broad color palette, ease of learning, and suffer from limited expressiveness. In this work, we propose a multi-sensory color code system that uses sound and scent to represent colors. Melodies express each color’s hue and scents the saturated, light, and dark color dimensions for each hue. In collaboration with eighteen participants, we evaluated the color identification rate achieved when using the multi-sensory approach. Seven (39%) of the participants improved their identification rate, five (28%) remained the same, and six (33%) performed worse when compared to an audio-only color code alternative. The participants then evaluated and compared a color content exploration prototype that uses the proposed color code with a tactile graphic equivalent using the System Usability Scale. For a visual artwork color exploration task, the multi-sensory color code integrated prototype received a score of 78.61, while the tactile graphics equivalent received 61.53. User feedback indicates that the multi-sensory color code system improved the convenience and confidence of the participants.

scholarly journals A Smart Vision Based Navigation Aid for the Visually Impaired

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kommey ◽  
Kumbong Herrman ◽  
Ernest Ofosu Addo
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Navigation ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Autonomous Systems ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Outdoor Scenes

Due to the ever increasing number of blind and visually impaired people in the world, there has been a great amount of research dedicated to the design of assistive technologies to support them. The various assistive technologies apply different techniques including laser, ultrasonic sensors and image processing. Autonomous navigation is a significant challenge for the visually impaired, it makes life uncomfortable for them and poses serious safety issues. In this paper we review the progress made so far in vision based systems and propose an approach for developing navigation aids through techniques used in other autonomous systems like self-driving vehicles. The proposed system uses a front camera to capture images and then produces commensurate guiding audio signals that allow the user freely move in their environment. An extra rear camera is included to allow the user to obtain more information about the scene. Care is taken however not to overload the user with information. The proposed method is tested both in indoor and outdoor scenes and is effective in notifying the user for any obstacles. The goal of this paper is to propose a model for and to develop subsystems for an intelligent, high performance, affordable and easy to use image based navigation aid for the visually impaired.

scholarly journals Accessibility of Tables in PDF Documents

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nosheen Fayyaz ◽  
Shah Khusro ◽  
Shakir Ullah
Keyword(s):  
Information Retrieval ◽  
Digital Libraries ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Original Material ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
The Web

People access and share information over the web and in other digital environments, including digital libraries, in the form of documents such as books, articles, technical reports, etc. These documents are in a variety of formats, of which the Portable Document Format (PDF) is most widely used because of its emphasis on preserving the layout of the original material. The retrieval of relevant material from these derivative documents is challenging for information retrieval (IR) because the rich semantic structure of these documents is lost. The retrieval of important units such as images, figures, algorithms, mathematical formulas, and tables becomes a challenge. Among these elements, tables are particularly important because they can add value to the resource description, discovery, and accessibility of documents not only on the web but also in libraries if they are made retrievable and presentable to readers. Sighted users comprehend tables for sensemaking using visual cues, but blind and visually impaired users must rely on assistive technologies, including text-to-speech and screen readers, to comprehend tables. However, these technologies do not pay sufficient attention to tables in order to effectively present tables to visually impaired individuals. Therefore, ways must be found to make tables in PDF documents not only retrievable but also comprehensible. Before developing such solutions, it is necessary to review the available assistive technologies, tools, and frameworks for their capabilities, strengths, and limitations from the comprehension perspective of blind and visually impaired people, along with suitable environments like digital libraries. We found no such review article that critically and analytically presents and evaluates these technologies. To fill this gap in the literature, this review paper reports on the current state of the accessibility of PDF documents, digital libraries, assistive technologies, tools, and frameworks that make PDF tables comprehensible and accessible to blind and visually impaired people. The study findings have implications for libraries, information sciences, and information retrieval.

scholarly journals Towards a Training Framework for Improved Assistive Mobile App Acceptance and Use Rates by Blind and Visually Impaired People

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paraskevi Theodorou ◽  
Apostolos Meliones
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
Psychological Features

The development of mobile apps, which are either suitably adapted or especially designed for use by sensory-deprived people, have contributed significantly to the continuously increasing adoption of digital assistive technologies by people with disabilities. Throughout the design of two assistive navigation mobile apps for blind and visually impaired people (BVI), a set of everyday practices and psychological features of the BVIs with respect to the use of mobile technology was identified. Specifically, interviews with BVIs were held at the first stage of the design process. The analysis of the responses revealed that appropriate training of a BVI on how to use these apps plays significant role on the anticipated app adoption and use rate. This study presents the everyday practices and psychological features of the BVIs, as they were inferred from the analysis of the interviews. It is argued that these psychological features and practices must be considered in the development of training practices concerning the use of the proposed technology. Towards this direction, a framework for the adequate training of BVIs on the use of assistive mobile apps is presented. Consideration of this framework during the development of assistive mobile apps for BVIs could contribute towards higher adoption rates.

scholarly journals Strategies of planning online scientific projects for blind and visually impaired students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Gradaleva ◽  
Maria Houston
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Visually Impaired Students ◽  
Tools And Techniques

The paper describes distance learning opportunities for blind and visually impaired students. The research aims at analyzing various tools and techniques that are necessary for their participation in online scientific projects and conferences. Methodology includes analysis of pedagogical studies, the survey carried out during International Conference for Students at Samara State Technical University, examination of educational activities performed for blind and visually impaired students all over the world, in particular the experience of American Foundation for the Blind. The findings show that distance learning programmes for blind and visually impaired people are becoming popular in many countries, but in Russia there are only a few of them. The authors prove the necessity of doing research in this sphere. It is recommended that more distance learning opportunities are created for such students at Russian universities. The analysis shows that it is even easier to plan the inclusion of blind and visually impaired students in the online scientific events that are not new and have already been held for wider public. The authors conclude that it is essential to adapt the existing system of distance learning using special tools and techniques, which are described in the article. These are accessible platforms, software used with assistive technologies, keyboard controls, audio description, smartphone apps, etc. Special emphasis is laid upon planning webinars for blind and low vision participants. This research can serve as a guide for making online scientific events accessible for all people.

scholarly journals Inertial Measurement Unit Sensors in Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired People, a Review

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4767
Author(s):  
Karla Miriam Reyes Leiva ◽  
Milagros Jaén-Vargas ◽  
Benito Codina ◽  
José Javier Serrano Olmedo
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Measurement Unit ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Inertial Sensors ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Biomechanical Analysis ◽  
Measurement Unit ◽  
Inertial Measurement ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
Application Fields

A diverse array of assistive technologies have been developed to help Visually Impaired People (VIP) face many basic daily autonomy challenges. Inertial measurement unit sensors, on the other hand, have been used for navigation, guidance, and localization but especially for full body motion tracking due to their low cost and miniaturization, which have allowed the estimation of kinematic parameters and biomechanical analysis for different field of applications. The aim of this work was to present a comprehensive approach of assistive technologies for VIP that include inertial sensors as input, producing results on the comprehension of technical characteristics of the inertial sensors, the methodologies applied, and their specific role in each developed system. The results show that there are just a few inertial sensor-based systems. However, these sensors provide essential information when combined with optical sensors and radio signals for navigation and special application fields. The discussion includes new avenues of research, missing elements, and usability analysis, since a limitation evidenced in the selected articles is the lack of user-centered designs. Finally, regarding application fields, it has been highlighted that a gap exists in the literature regarding aids for rehabilitation and biomechanical analysis of VIP. Most of the findings are focused on navigation and obstacle detection, and this should be considered for future applications.

Design and implementation of a smart reader for blind and visually impaired people

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Punith ◽  
G. Manish ◽  
M. Sai Sumanth ◽  
A. Vinay ◽  
R. Karthik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People
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