Research
Researchers listed alphabetically by surname
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Researchers listed by country index
Researchers listed by subject index
M
David MacKay
Cambridge University, Inference Group, Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory,
Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
Tel: +44 1223 337200
Web: www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/
Current & recent projects
Dasher Project
Dasher is a text-entry system wherever a full-size keyboard cannot be used due to a disability and can be accessed on a palmtop computer or a wearable computer, when operating a computer one-handed, by joystick, touchscreen, trackball, or mouse or by head-mouse or by eyetracker.
Project start date: 01/01/1998
Project end date: 01/01/2008
Last updated: 19/03/2008
Manfred MacKeben
The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Center for Blindness and Low Vision (RERC), 2318 Fillmore Street,
San Francisco, California 94115, United States of America.
Tel: +1 415 345 2112
Fax: +1 415 345 8455
Email: mm@ski.org
Web: www.ski.org/Rehab
Current & recent projects
Kinesthetic Feedback Enhances Self-Exploration of the Visual Field
While Learning Eccentric Viewing
To intensify and speed up learning of eccentric viewing after binocular
central field loss.
Optimizing the Conditions for Reading with the Periphery of the Visual
Field
This project studies the parameters for optimal letter and word recognition
using the periphery instead of the center of the retina, in people with
central (foveal) vision loss. The results are used to develop a computer
program that optimizes reading off a screen after foveal vision loss.
The project uses computer displays for presentation because they allow
changing the display mode and typeface instantaneously. Font creation
software is used to modify characteristics of often-confused letters,
using an objective measure of salience, and the effect can be tested immediately.
This optimizes typefaces for viewing with the peripheral retina. If it
improves peripheral reading from a screen, the product is made available
for printing on paper.
Project start Date: 01/06/99
Project end Date: 31/05/2002
Focal attention and letter recognition in the retinal periphery in
elderly subjects and patients with Age-Related Maculopathy [ARM]
Sustained attention is tested in elderly subjects and patients with
age-related maculopathies. The goal is to investigate the age-dependence
of sustained attention shifts. Preliminary data indicate that there is
not a strong age-dependence and that declines in letter recognition performance
can mostly be explained by impaired eyesight.
Last updated: 02/09/2002
Yoshinobu Maeda
Faculty of Engineering, Niigata University, 8050, Ikarashi-2, Niigata,
950-2181, Japan.
Web: www.eng.niigata-u.ac.jp/english/
Current & recent projects
Evaluation of a GPS-based guidance system for visually impaired pedestrains
Co-workers: Eiichi Tano; Hideo Makino; Takashi Konishi; Ikuo Ishii
In order to assist the navigation of visually impaired pedestrians, using
devices such as GPS (Global Positioning System), there should be a capability
of automatically providing building names (landmarks) and compass information,
in spoken format.
Last updated: 04/03/2002
Terry Maggiore
NCAM/WGBH, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, Massachusettes 02134, United States
of America.
Tel: +1 617 300 3469
Email: terry_maggiore@wgbh.org
Web: www.wgbh.org/NCAM
Current & recent projects
eDescription Project
Co-worker: Richard Ely rick_ely@wgbh.org
The eDescription Project is evaluating the educational potential of a
new audio description methodology. The project is based on technology
that allows children who are blind or visually impaired to independently
access additional information that is embedded within today's visually
rich curriculum materials.
Last updated: 11/01/2002
Charlotte Magnusson
Lund University, Department of Rehabilitation Engineering Research, Box
118, 22100 Lund, Sweden.
Tel: +46 222 40 97
Fax: +46 222 44 31
Email: Charlotte.Magnusson@certec.lth.se
Web: www.english.certec.lth.se/
Current & recent projects
Haptic 3D Object Recognition - A study with Blind Users
Co-workers: Kirre Rassmus-Gròhn,
Calle Sjòstròm,
H. Danielsson
An extensive study of the performance of blind persons in different haptic
environments.
Last updated: 29/08/2002
Joseph Maino, OD
Vision Impairment Center to Optimize Sight, Optometry Service, Kansas
City VA Medical Center, 4801 Linwood Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri 64128-2295,
United States of America.
Tel: +1 816 861 4700 Ext. 7408
Fax: +1 816 922 3375
Email: joe.maino@med.va.gov
Current & recent projects
Motor Control Deficits Related to Macular Scotomas: Basis for Rehabilitation
Co-worker: George Timberlake, PhD
Our objective is to investigate previously unrecognized motor control
deficits caused by macular scotomas. These deficits are not caused by
visual acuity loss that accompanies macular scotomas, but are a result
of brain mechanisms that use retinal spatial information and eye position
information to coordinate movement. Individuals with macular scotomas
use a retinal area adjacent to the scotoma (the Preferred Retinal Locus
or PRL) to look at objects because the retinal area of sharpest vision,
the fovea, is non-functional. The use of a PRL has important consequences
for an individual's perception of direction and coordination of limb movements
as follows. (1) Use of a PRL can cause abnormal perception of the direction
of objects relative to the body because the brain uses spatial maps of
the visual world and knowledge of eye position in the head to determine
the direction of objects. Spatial maps and eye position information can
be abnormal when a PRL is used, causing abnormal perception of direction.
(2) Use of a PRL is accompanied by abnormal tracking eye movements. Abnormal
tracking eye movements are likely to cause abnormal hand tracking movements
because there is a reciprocal interchange of neural information concerning
the position of the hand in space and the position of the eye in the head.
(3) Use of a PRL adjacent to a scotoma probably has adverse effects on
fine manual control because the scotoma sometimes obscures the fingers,
hand, and object being manipulated when the PRL is "looking at"
the object. Such sporadic loss of visual information in a fine visuo-motor
task is likely to degrade task performance.
Last updated: 13/10/2003
George Maithonis
Email: gmaithonis@yahoo.com
Current & recent projects
Multiline or fullpage refreshable Braille display
Last updated: 12/02/2002
Professor Hideo Makino
Department of Information Engineering, Niigata University, Niigata, 950-2181,
Japan.
Tel: +81 25 264 2227
Fax: +81 25 262 7773
Email: makino@ie.niigata-u.ac.jp
Web: www.gis.ie.niigata-u.ac.jp
Publications
Current & recent projects
Research related to text information access
The development of 2D bar codes, 'invisible' to the eye for placement
on complex shapes ranging from cans of food to a crumpled T-shirt has
enable access to 3D object identification. An object recognition and description
system using a specially designed invisible bar code has been developed
and tested. The system can produce a spoken description on a object without
resort to a visible bar code, thereby providing privacy and security when
required. Other advantages of the system include the speed of the object
recognition and fast input to a speech synthesizer for spoken description.
Research into Navigation Systems
A single GPS or differential GPS receiver is a useful tool for the blind
for determining their location relative to the surrounding environment.
However, each person needs to carry his/her personal computer loaded with
location data, and these data have to be updated periodically for each
area. We therefore developed a new guidance system, to solve these problems
using GPS receivers and a mobile phone.
Last updated: 29/03/2001
Dr Branislav Mamojka
Slovak Blind and Partially Sighted Union, Únia nevidiacich a slabozrakých Slovenska,
Sekulská 1, Bratislava 842 50, Slovakia.
Tel: +421 2 654 20 796
Fax: +421 2 654 20 842
Email:
mamojka@unss.sk
Current & recent projects
EENAT (Eastern European Network on Assistive Technology)
Computer and communication technology for blind and partially sighted
persons (synthetic speech, large display, user interface, user training).
Project start date: 01/01/96
Project end date: 31/12/2000
Last updated: 05/07/2006
Gary L. Mancil
VAMC, Vision Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (11-F-6), 1601 Brenner
Avenue, Salisbury, North Carolina 28144, United States of America.
Tel: +1 704 638 3376
Fax: +1 704 638 3397
Email: mancil.g@forum.va.gov
Current & recent projects
Veterans with Cataracts: Visual Disabilities in Nighttime Driving
In this one year pilot project the investigator proposes to evaluate how
glare disability associated with various stages of cataract affects veterans'
ability to read Traffic Control Devices (TCDs) during nighttime driving.
This will be accomplished by testing four groups of veterans with differing
stages of cataract using 1.) clinical visual psychophysical measures believed
to be sensitive to the effects of glare disability, and 2.) engineering-based
field experiments to measure subjects' performance in detecting and reading
common TCDs. The primary outcome of this project will be a better understanding
of veterans with cataract and the disability they experience in nighttime
driving under glare conditions. Expected secondary outcomes include 1.)
improvements in TCD design and 2.) more functionally based classification
systems for designated cataracts as "visually significant".
Project start date: 01/01/2000
Project end date: 31/12/2000
Last updated: 19/01/2000
Rickilyn M. Mancil
VAMC, Vision Rehabilitation Research Laboratory (11-F-6), 1601 Brenner
Avenue, Salisbury, North Carolina 28144, United States of America.
Tel: +1 704 638 3376
Fax: +1 704 638 3397
Email: mancil.r@forum.va.gov
Current & recent projects
Redesign & Evaluation of a device for rehabilitation of people with Visual Field Loss
Evaluation of a Device to Improve Mobility of Veterans with Night
Blindness
Project start date: 15/08/2000
Project end date: 14/08/2002
Last updated: 04/10/2000
Dr Danilo P. Mandic
Reader in Signal Processing,
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
Imperial College London,
Exhibition Road, SW7 2BT London
Tel: +44 207 594 6271
Fax: +44 207 594 6234
E-mail: d.mandic@imperial.ac.uk
Web www.commsp.ee.ic.ac.uk/~mandic
Current & recent projects
Research areas:
- tactile perception
- tactile codes
- Braille shorthand
Last updated: 29/06/2006
Steve Mann
Department of Electrical Engineering, Room S.F. 2001, 10 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G4, Ontario, Canada.
Tel: +1 416 946 3387
Fax: +1 416 971 2326
Email: mann@eecg.toronto.edu
Web: www.eecg.toronto.edu/~mann
Publications
Current & recent projects
EyeTap
The invention and development of the WearComp (wearable computer)
and WearCam (Eyetap camera and reality mediator). The Eyetapcamera is
a head mounted unit that turns the eye into a camera. The user sees a
laser generated image "projected" on a pair of regular glasses. Because
the image is "filtered" through a computer program, it can be manipulated
in a number of ways. The image can be magnified, contrast can be adjusted,
filters can be added or subtracted, night vision capabilities can be created,
parts of the visual field can be edited out or things can be added, the
image can be directed to healthy tissue, steering around for example scotomas.
The computer that runs the system is the Wearcam.
See wearcam.org/vmp.htm
or about.eyetap.org/library/weekly/aa012201a.shtml
G Linaccess (Accessible GNU Linux for the partially sighted or visually
challenged)
The purpose of the G Linaccess project is to make computers accessible
to those with low vision, in a way that does not require the use of a
text to speech converter or other devices that are normally used by the
blind. I started the G Linaccess project primarily for developing systems
for display on a laser EyeTap device, but it may also be viewed on a special
high brightness/high contrast cathode ray tube. In situations where visual
impairment is not severe, it may be used on a normal video display (preferably
a black and white television that uses a cathod ray tube) with brightness
and contrast set appropriately.
See wearcamorg/linaccess.htm
for more information.
Last updated: 22/09/2003
Dr William C. Mann, OTR
University of Florida, 2107A Health Professions Building, Box 100164,
Gainsville, Florida 32610-0164, United States of America.
Tel: +1 352 273 6883
Email: WMann@hp.ufl.edu
Web: www.hp.ufl.edu/ot/
and www.hp.ufl.edu/rehabsci/
Current & recent projects
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Successful
Aging - Addresses independence related needs of elders with all types
of impairments, including vision;
Seniors Institute on Transportion and Communications - Addresses older
driver safety, including vision impairment.
Last updated: 22/09/2003
Dr Swami Manohar
Computer Science and Automation, Indian Institute of Science, India.
Email: manohar@csa.iisc.ernet.in
Web: www.simputer.org
Current & recent projects
Simputer
Development of a handheld computer that reads web pages aloud in native
Indian languages. Trials of the Simputer should begin in August, and could
be widely used by early 2002.
Last updated: 31/07/2001
Dr Graham Manson
Currabinny Electronics Ltd, 4 Eastern Villas, Currabinny, Carrigaline,
County Cork, Ireland.
Tel: +353 21 378 642
Fax: +353 21 378 642
Email: mansong@indigo.ie
Current & recent projects
Development of an electronic compass for the visually handicapped. The user adjusts a mechanical 'pointer' to any desired compass direction, and the electronic circuit, which detects magnetic North, indicates orientation to within 5 degrees by sound or tactile feedback. Radio receiver for FM, MW and LW with automatic tuning, simple user set up of switch selected channels, and voice confirmation of station and frequency.
Last updated:
Chris Maris
a-technic,
The Quiet House,
13 Macaulay Buildings,
Bath,
BA2 6AT,
United Kingdom
Tel:
+44 (0)1225 758063
Email:
info@a-technic.net
Web: www.a-technic.net/
Current & recent projects
Talking Remote Control
Many users - especially those with vision impairment or limited dexterity - find modern remote controls for TVs, CDs, etc confusing and unusable. a-technic are currently prototyping a universal remote control with a small number of buttons and spoken feedback to the user on the action of each button. By touching a button on this talking remote the user is informed of the function of the button with a simple spoken phrase (e.g. "Volume Up" or "Pause"), and upon pressing the button for slightly longer, the talking remote sends the appropriate infra red control signal to the currently selected device (TV, CD, etc).
Last updated: 15/11/2007
Andy Marsh
VMW Solutions Ltd., 9 Northlands Road, Whitenap, Romsey, Hampshire, S051
5RU, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0) 7703 235 307
Fax: +44 (0) 1794 522558
Email: Sarah.Shelmerdine@vmwsolutions.com
Web: www.vmwsolutions.com
Current & recent projects
Pharos
Co-workers: SenderoGroup (USA)
Designed originally for the visually impaired, but equally applicable
to any outdoor Location Based Navigation & Direction environment,
the “Pharos” service via SMS uses the latest GPS-GSM technology
to provide regular updates of the outdoor position and nearby Points of
Interest of a locatable tag. The locatable tag, with an accuracy of 10m,
may be either a wearable VMWS L-TAG or a GPS-GSM mobile handset device
that uses SMS to indicate its location. With customisable parameters the
Pharos service converts a GPS position to a street name, for example an
SMS from +447703532703 containing the GPS position “5059.11,N,00128.27,W”
will return an SMS with the text “Richard, you are 56 feet from:
SYCAMORE and NORTHLANDS”. The cost of the Pharos service, to registered
VMWS customers, is that of a locatable tag and an SMS message for each
location update. When coupled with the VMWS Annunciator the user can listen
to the location-based information being read as it is being received and
then request further Points of Interest information.
Project start date: 08/2000
Project finish date: 3Q/2001
Annunciator
Designed originally for the visually impaired, elderly and the handicapped
but equally applicable in any handsfree environment the “Annunciator”,
uses the latest Text-To-Speech and speech synthesis technology allowing
you to listen, via a handsfree earpiece, to your SMS messages being read
as they are received. The Annunciator supports a fully programmable exception
dictionary, multi-lingual pronunciation, predefined voices with customisable
parameters including volume, tone, pitch, speed, reverb, expression, formant
frequency and articulation. The Annunciator with a programmable word association
dictionary and phone number-to-name service supports user-defined SMS
encoding and message shorthand, for example an SMS from +447703235307
with the text “WLC 2 TE ANCTR HNDFR SMS RDR” could be pronounced
in English as “SMS received from VMWS: Welcome to the Annunciator
handsfree SMS reader”. Connecting to any GSM mobile handset (900/1800/1900
Mhz) the Annunciator can read GSM 07.07 Class 2 SMS messages and be fully
programmed from a PC serial Com port. With dimensions 55 x 35 x 17 mm
& weighing less than 70g, the Annunciator makes an ideal handsfree
companion.
Project start date: 01/2001
Project finish date: 3Q/2001
MINDER
Designed originally for monitoring the movements and whereabouts of children,
but equally applicable to any outdoor tracking environment, the “MINDER”
service, uses the latest GPS-GSM technology, to provide regular updates
via Email, displayed on a street map, of the outdoor position of a locatable
tag. The locatable tag, with an accuracy of 10m, may be either a VMWS
L-TAG or a GPS-GSM mobile handset device that uses SMS to indicate its
location. The MINDER service observes user security and privacy with fully
customisable user-defined parameters including the time between periodic
updates and multiple recipient Email: accounts. The street and road maps
have a resolution of 500m and cover the whole of mainland Britain. Aerial
photographs are also available for some locations. The cost of the MINDER
service, to registered VMWS customers, is that of a locatable tag and
an SMS message for each location update. An Email: account and Internet
connection are also required to receive the street map images.
Project start date: 12/2000
Project finish date: 2Q/2001
Last updated: 15/05/2001
Dr James R. Marston
Department of Geography,
3611 Ellison Hall,
University of California at Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, California 93106-4060, United States of America.
Tel: +1 805 893 7274
Email: marstonj@geog.ucsb.edu
Web: http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~marstonj/ and http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/pgs/main.htm
Publications
Current & recent projects
Visually impaired since 1985, I have a personal and professional interest in technologies that can increase the ability to access urban opportunities and increase transit use for persons with visual impairments. My Ph.D. work, with advisor Reginald Golledge, focused on location based technology for the blind. Applied field experiments were conducted, culminating in a large scale experiment at a multi-model train station, where blind participants made transfers from various kinds of transportation modes to other modes. By measuring completion times for those using their regular methods of navigation and those using RIAS (Remote Infrared Audible Signage) we were able to determine what some of the many barriers to successful transit use were and the efficacy of the RIAS technology. We also asked many qualitative questions and measured spatial relationship knowledge of both groups.
I have been a post doctoral researcher, with Jack Loomis, Reg Golledge and Roberta Klatzky as part of the consortium funded by NIDRR, with Mike May as PI. Since joining in 2001, we have done a large survey and three field experiments of various interfaces designs.
Last updated: 31/10/2007
Heather Labon Mason
University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 121 414 4866
Fax: +44 121 414 4865
Email: H.L.MASON@bham.ac.uk
Web: www.bham.ac.uk/
Current & recent projects
Development of a tactile speed of information processing test for blind pupils; development of information technology (IT) open learning multimedia package for teachers/lecturers of the visually disabled; development of a Braille reading test for blind children.
Last updated:
Robert W. Massof
Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center, Wilmer Ophthalmological
Institute, 550 North Broadway, 6th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United
States of America.
Tel: +1 410 955 5033
Fax: +1 410 9551829
Email: rmassof@lions.med.jhu.edu
Web: www.wilmer.jhu.edu/staff/cvs/massof.htm
Publications
Current & recent projects
Vision Disabilities in Low Vision
Last updated: 26/06/2000
Michael May
1118 Maple Lane, Davis, California 95616, United States of America.
Tel: +1 530 757 6800
Fax: +1 530 757 6830
Email: MikeMay@SenderoGroup.com
Web: www.SenderoGroup.com
Current & recent projects
Accessible Location Information Delivered via GPS cell phone for People with Visual Impairments.
This project develops an accessible GPS cell phone, which provides critical information about businesses, addresses, distances, and routes, thereby greatly augmenting the personal mobility of a traveler who is blind visually impaired. Specific activities include integrating the existing accessible GPS innovations with "smart" cell phone technology. The marriage of GPS and cell phones exists in the general market but it is screen based with a graphical interface rendering it completely inaccessible for blind and visually impaired individuals. Developing an interface to meet the needs of the nation's blind and visually impaired travelers, i.e. translating the visual information into spoken text, is a central focus of this project.
Project start Date: 11/2006
Project end Date: 11/2009
www.naric.com/research/record.cfm?search=1&type=all&criteria=accessible%20wayfinding&phrase=no&rec=1674
NIDRR Wayfinding
Co-workers: Dr Jack Loomis; Dr
Reginald Golledge; Dr James Marston;
Dr Roberta Klatsky; Dr Gordon Legge;
Nick Giudice; Dr Paul Ponchilla,
Dr Richard Long; Dr David Guth;
Dr William Crandall; Dr Bosco
Tjan; Dr Paul Beckmann; Janet Barlow; Dr John Gesink
Wayfinding Research
To create a Global Positioning System (GPS) core platform around which
other wayfinding systems technologies will be tested and incorporated
including GPS cell phones, indoor and outdoor navigation, location specific
signs. A consortium of 6 organisations with investigators from academic
institutions, research centres and industry will collaborate on the project.
Project start date: 10/2001
Project end date: 09/2006
www.naric.com/research/record.cfm?search=1&type=all&criteria=accessible%20wayfinding&phrase=no&rec=142
Incorporating Accessible GPS and Talking Lights to provide an Indoor Navigation Solution.
Using an existing accessible GPS solution from Sendero Group, this research aims to develop hardware platform which utilizes the information from the Talking Lights system to provide specifc information relevant to indoor navigation. This solution would yield seemless indoor and outdoor navigation.
Project start date: 2006
Project end date: 2008
www.talking-lights.com
Last updated: 31/10/2007
Rachel McCrindle
Department of Computer Science, School of Computer Science, Cybernetics and E'Eng, The University of Reading, Whiteknights Park, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AY, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 118 9318611
Fax: +44 118 9751994
Email: r.j.mccrindle@rdg.ac.uk
Web: www.cs.reading.ac.uk/
Current & recent projects
Design for all of a hospital portal serving patients needs for information,
communications and entertainment
Co-workers: Mr Geoff Cook, Mr R.
Maidment
This portal serves patients needs for information, communications and
entertainment via a mix of telephony, TV & film, radio, shopping,
Internet, intranet and e-mail. However the interface to the portal is
currently inadequate with regard to use by some elderly patients and particularly
those who have auditory or visual disabilities, cognitive impairment,
literacy problems or those who are inexperienced in the use of computers.
This project is concerned with the research, development and evaluation
of a ''design for all'' interface to the hospital portal such that all
members of the patient community may benefit from such a system, feelings
of isolation are reduced and senses of community fostered.
Project start date: 01/09/2001
Project end date: 31/08/2003
Ambisonic Sound - Inclusive Design & Assistive Technologies for
Disability
3D computer game evaluation for the sighted, visually impaired and blind
users, including graphical and audio interfaces and taking into account
non-visual devices such as force feedback joysticks to provide tactile
interfaces to the environment. Our objective is to explore ways in which
new and distributed technologies can be used to benefit differing disabled
client groups, including those with age related disorders; to consider
the resultant social benefits of such applications and to highlight the
key technical issues surrounding their development. To develop interactive
games environments for use by sighted, visually impaired and blind users
such that they can play and compete against each other.
Last updated: 19/03/2001
Dr Angela McCullagh
Email: angela.mccullagh@pocklington-trust.org.uk
Web: www.pocklington-trust.org.uk
Publications
Current & recent projects
Research interests:
- Housing and related Care and Support
- Quality of life at home
- Prevention of blindness
- Ethnic communities
Dr McCullagh is the Research & Development Director at the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Last updated: 19/12/2006
Peter George McGavok
Brunel University, Department of Information Systems and Computing, Uxbridge,
Middlesex UB8 3EY, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1895 238446
Web: disc.brunel.ac.uk/home.shtml
Current & recent projects
Research for Deafblind Users of Technology
To evaluate the technological needs of deafblind users of technology,
and the extent to which software developers and website developers are
serving their needs. The purpose of this research is to discover the needs
of deafblind users, and then to create simple guidelines, which designers
can use to make their technologies accessible to the greatest possible
number of people.
Last updated: 16/05/2001
Dr Peter B. L. Meijer
The vOICe, High Tech Campus 32, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Email: feedback@seeingwithsound.com
Web: www.seeingwithsound.com
Publications
Current & recent projects
Sensory substitution ("seeing with sound")
Development of a camera-based auditory display for use by visually disabled
persons. The system represents arbitrary camera images by means of "soundscapes".
Images sensed by a camera are converted into sounds played through headphones.
In principle, such a sensory substitution system could support orientation
and mobility.
Last updated: 16/10/2007
Rainer Michel
Universität Magdeburg, Institut für Simulation und Graphik,
PO Box 4120, Magdeburg D-39106, Germany.
Tel: +49 391 67 18773
Fax: +49 391 67 11164
Email: mail@rainer-michel.de
Web: www.cs.uni-magdeburg.de/~rainer/
Publications
Current & recent projects
Creation of tactile maps using digital data
The automatic creation of tactile maps on the basis of digital map data
could improve their availability and the user-orientation. However, there
is still too little support for this process mainly due to problems related
to the creation of the map layout. Here, map generation using vehicle
navigation data is discussed. Particular attention is paid to data visualization.
However, due to the size of the symbols the visualization. is not easily
supportable by the use of computers. Large symbols tend to clutter requiring
map generation to solve the problem. To meet the requirements for visualization.,
a new approach to symbol displacement in the context of map generalization
is introduced - the Focus Line. This technique has been developed to displace
symbols along streets and to achieve sufficient presentation space. Based
on the Focus Line a direct-manipulative interaction tool has been developed
that allows local symbol manipulation while rearranging the further map
context accordingly. Based on these techniques the system Map Wizard has
been implemented for the semiautomatic creation of tactile maps using
swell paper.
Project start date: 01/01/95
Last updated:
Dr Joshua A. Miele
Tactile Maps Automated Production, The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Insititute, 2318 Fillmore St.,
San Francisco, CA 94115, United States of America.
Tel: +1 415 345 2113
Email: jam@ski.org
Web: http://www.ski.org/rerc/JAMiele/
Current & recent projects
Research areas:
- Auditory/tactile displays
- Spatial cognition
- Auditory motion perception
- Tactile maps.
Dr. Miele's specialty is the application of psychophysical methods to the design of accessible information systems. His resume includes contributions to accessible technologies such as screen readers (outSPOKEN), auditory and tactile scientific data representation utilities (Smith-Kettlewell Display Tools), and tactile map automated production software (TMAP).
Last updated: 07/09/2006
Klaus Miesenberger
Insitut Integriert Studieren, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstraße
69, A 4040 Linz, Austria.
Tel: +43 732 2468 9232
Fax: +43 732 2468 9322
Email: klaus.miesenberger@jku.at
Web: www.integriert-studieren.jku.at/
Publications
Current & recent projects
Mathematics for the Blind
Co-workers: Azene Zenebe; Mario
Batusic; Bernhard Stoeger
Convergence in Electronic Libraries, Cultural Heritage and Service
Provision for Print Disabled People
Research addressing the needs of print disabled people and the development
of systems to further provide literature to the blind and visually handicapped.
Last updated: 29/03/2006
Professor France Mihelic
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of electrical engineering, Trzaska 25,
Ljubljana SI-1000, Slovenia.
Tel: +386 1 4768 313
Fax: +386 1 4768 316
Email: mihelicf@fe.uni-lj.si
Web: luz.fe.uni-lj.si/english/staff/taci-eng.html
Publications
Current & recent projects
HOMER - Man-Machine Interface for Blind and Visually Impaired People
Co-workers: Simon Dobrisek; Jereja Gros, Nikola
Pavesic
Development of a voice-driven text-to-speech system for the visually impaired
persons for reading Slovenian texts.
Last updated: 27/09/2001
Dr Susanna Millar
Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, South Parks
Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1865 271 385
Fax: +44 1865 31044
Email: susanna.millar@psy.ox.ac.uk
Publications
Current & recent projects
My research (principal and sole investigator), is concerned with perception by touch and movement, spatial coding with and without vision, multimodal (mainly vision and touch) processing, braille reading.
Last updated: 31/10/2007
Dr David Mioduser
Tel:-Aviv University, School of Education, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
Tel: +972 3 6408465
Fax: +972 3 6407752
Email: miodu@post.tau.ac.il
Current & recent projects
Co-worker: Orly Lahav
The development of a computer system to diagnose and support low vision
students in dealing with written mistakes.
Last updated: 05/11/2001
Paul Mitchell
Ophthalmology Department, Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health, C24 -
Westmead Hospital, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
Tel: +1 61 2 9845 7960
Fax: +1 61 2 9845 6117
Email: paulmi@westmed.wh.usyd.edu.au
Current & recent projects
The Blue Mountain Eye Study
Impact of visual impairment on use of community support services by elderly
persons.
Last updated: 26/07/2000
Evangelos Mitsopoulos
Department of Computer Science, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United
Kingdom.
Tel: +44 1904 434757
F ax: +44 1904 432767
Email: enm@cs.york.ac.uk
Web: www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~enm/
Publications
Current & recent projects
Non-Visual Interfaces Project
Last updated: 04/04/2001
Patrick Moesick
Npo Ter Waerde, Flanders Language Valley, Ter Waerde npo, Sint-Krispijnstraat
7, 8900 IEPER, Belgium.
Tel: +32 5722 9440
Fax: +32 5722 9441
Email: patrick.moesick@flv.be
Current & recent projects
Research into the Accessibility of Websites and Multimedia Products.
Our aim is to minimally implement our website as an example of accessibility
by using technology (and knowledge about the target groups) by researching
into the possibilities of our technologies by setting up small, controllable
experiments (using speech recognition and speech synthesis in combination
with other types of technology - i.e. MS Agents, Streaming Audio/Video,
etc.) and targeting this research and development to three target groups;
visually impaired, deaf and mentally disabled.
Last updated: 20/06/2000
Steve Moore
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States of America.
Tel: +1 352 392 3261
Email: sedwin@cise.ufl.edu
Web: www.harris.cise.ufl.edu/projects/drishti.htm
Current & recent projects
DRISHTI
Co-workers: Professor Sumi Helal,
Balaji Ramachandran
Development of wearable computer with speech recognition software and
satellite positioning technology to create a navigational aid for the
blind. Dubbed "DRISHTI" from the Sanscrit word for "vision,"
the device uses either a Motorola iDEN phone or an 802.11b wireless network
to allow communication between a wearable computer and a spatial database.
The navigation system has been worked on for several years and the system
integrates GPS, a GIS database, a compass, and other sensors to provide
the wearer with exact information about where they are, what direction
they're facing, what obstacles are present in the room or surroundings,
directions to get from where they are to their destination, even where
the nearest restroom or waterfountain is. It is hoped to have a commercial
product available for real-world use within the next two years.
Last updated: 17/12/2002
Rachel Morehouse
Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Maine, Orono, Maine
04469, United States of America.
Tel: +1 207 942 3364
Email: rachel.morehouse@umit.maine.edu
Web: www.eece.maine.edu/
Current & recent projects
Low-Cost Aid for Blind People
Co-worker: Eric Soucie
In a manner similar to sonar, the device sends out an ultra-sound signal
and receives the reflected signal back from an object. The device vibrates
more strongly as its gets closer to an object and then stops vibrating
altogether when it comes within six inches of it. Altogether, the electronic
parts and the plastic casing amount to about $20. The device measures
about six inches long and two inches on a side and runs on three AA batteries.
Further developments are to be pursued.
Last updated: 30/10/2001
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