Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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I am working on a camera designed for visually impaired and I need your help, please (self.Blind)
submitted by jasonh79
Hello, I am a product design student from Hong Kong. I'm researching on blind photography as my final year project. The aim of the project is to design a camera with improved interface that is better for visually impaired users. I hope this project can help more visually impaired to get into photography. I have contacted a few visually impaired photographers locally but I think it would be better if I can get more opinion from you guys as well. I have made a survey about camera usage to understand the habits and issues. I apologizes for as I understand that a online survey may be too tricky for some visually impaired users. It would be kind if you guys could spend some time to fill it. The link is as followed.
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Thank you for your time.
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Thank you for your time.
estj317 2 points 4y ago
Okay maybe I should share some of my thoughts here with you. With my current picture taking it’s not that I like or don’t like it. I don’t mind taking picture and if it’s at all easy to take a picture I’d probably take more of them. I already do sound scaping. I like pictures but find them difficult. I take pictures very seldomly but sometimes do and most times I hand my camera to someone else and tell them here. Take it for me. When I try for it myself, I don’t adjust anything, I don’t hardly know what they are. One or two of them. Turnning on the flash light, switching from the front to the rear camera. That’s the extent of it. I see the crop your picture but I don’t see the picture so can’t crop or edit. Zooming and stuff I don’t know if zooming is better or worse because I can’t see the image if that makes sense.
I answer touch screen if only you can build in an audio feedback in to it to tell me what I am touching on the touch screen, and could probably describe dynamic content on many screens better, especially adjusting to object focus and what object you want to take. With buttons you don’t have a dynamic screen and can’t have one, and a dile you can’t necessarily have it either. I think that was all the suplemental thoughts that was going through my mind.
I answer touch screen if only you can build in an audio feedback in to it to tell me what I am touching on the touch screen, and could probably describe dynamic content on many screens better, especially adjusting to object focus and what object you want to take. With buttons you don’t have a dynamic screen and can’t have one, and a dile you can’t necessarily have it either. I think that was all the suplemental thoughts that was going through my mind.
jasonh79 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Thank you for your detailed opinion. I think I should share some background here. I started this project with a local organization which promote blind photography. They take photos for artistic reasons but I found resources for them are pretty limited. Most research I got were towards functional and daily needs which does not help much with their creative process. I want to know if the existing camera is the barrier to get into taking photos as a hobby or even professionally, and if it is, how can I improve it. So that was a bit of the story.
I do find that there are lots of potential to make an app, as lots of functions like object recognition and focus assist can be put into it. However, I also find that touch screen is actually quite a love it or hate it thing. Some prefer having a physical dial or button. I had some discussion today and its towards an accessories or plug in for smartphone to work with an app. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
BTW, California seems to be a very nice place. I hope I can visit there once I graduate.
I do find that there are lots of potential to make an app, as lots of functions like object recognition and focus assist can be put into it. However, I also find that touch screen is actually quite a love it or hate it thing. Some prefer having a physical dial or button. I had some discussion today and its towards an accessories or plug in for smartphone to work with an app. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
BTW, California seems to be a very nice place. I hope I can visit there once I graduate.
estj317 2 points 4y ago
So how do they take photos? Are they pretty good at aiming and taking actually good photos?
Yes, I do think so I think the thing is that a camera isn’t too accessible and aiming can sometimes be difficult. If you can make a stand alone unit that works somehow with a good touch screen maybe?? I can see the issues. I was very half and half about the touch screen. I think access to a professional device would be nice. My sister discovered just how bad the iphone cameras are they are not bad if you want to do it casually but she’s an artist. So yeah, and having access to a better camera would probably be helpful.
BTW, california is nice if you want to keep in touch and I am around would not mind helping you out. I know los angeles really well and went food hunting for a while. Haha! And there is a lot of Chinese in California. The first Chinatown was founded in San francisco. And then it was Los angeles. I live near los angeles in the Los angeles county area.
Yes, I do think so I think the thing is that a camera isn’t too accessible and aiming can sometimes be difficult. If you can make a stand alone unit that works somehow with a good touch screen maybe?? I can see the issues. I was very half and half about the touch screen. I think access to a professional device would be nice. My sister discovered just how bad the iphone cameras are they are not bad if you want to do it casually but she’s an artist. So yeah, and having access to a better camera would probably be helpful.
BTW, california is nice if you want to keep in touch and I am around would not mind helping you out. I know los angeles really well and went food hunting for a while. Haha! And there is a lot of Chinese in California. The first Chinatown was founded in San francisco. And then it was Los angeles. I live near los angeles in the Los angeles county area.
jasonh79 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
There is a lady who is blind and the way she take pictures is through another person who can see. That person would describe the environment and the image in the screen to her while she aims with her phone and makes decision. For the low vision photographers who use a camera, they can perceive the environment and can roughly see what is in the picture, but the screen on a camera is a lot smaller than a smartphone which makes it difficult and the text on the camera controls are really small. So they have to take one picture then check it and change something and take another picture until they get the one they want. This is how they take photos and the photos are good. They have their work on some photography exhibition. They held exhibition themselves around the city and they make postcards with their photos.
I do think that iphone has a pretty good camera among other smartphones. But if you are into photography, you will want better. Yet not everyone want to go professional. So I think it may be more reasonable to design for beginners or people who wants to try taking photos but are not sure whether they like it or not. And they don't have to invest too much into something they may not like after three days. I have met people who spent 1000 US dollar on a camera and never use it because it is too heavy to carry.
I think I have seen enough Chinese. I'm Just kidding, I think it will take a long for me to save up for travel. But food hunting is a good idea. I will try on that. Again,thanks for sharing your thoughts, this really help.
I do think that iphone has a pretty good camera among other smartphones. But if you are into photography, you will want better. Yet not everyone want to go professional. So I think it may be more reasonable to design for beginners or people who wants to try taking photos but are not sure whether they like it or not. And they don't have to invest too much into something they may not like after three days. I have met people who spent 1000 US dollar on a camera and never use it because it is too heavy to carry.
I think I have seen enough Chinese. I'm Just kidding, I think it will take a long for me to save up for travel. But food hunting is a good idea. I will try on that. Again,thanks for sharing your thoughts, this really help.
estj317 2 points 4y ago
Yeah, just about what I do anyway, but there is still no gguarantee for instance I will be able to get that exact object. For example I know my house well obviously. So I was trying to take a picture of something forget what for exampel a plant by the fireplace but I could have taken a picture at the fireplace because I am off by just a little. I could stand right in front of it and take a picture but if I want to do it from a distance it is much harder. Is that a plant, the person. Next to it or that wall? say I wanted the person, am I suppose to go up to them and take it right in front of them? That is just my chief concern.
That’s true about the iphone and a professional camera, but I guess I was thinking bigger. I mean it would be very interesting if that thing was accessible or even a camera that wasn’t that expensive but a little better than a iphone. Like one of those digital video cameras. But yeah, maybe ideally you can have some at different price rangees?
Haha! It’s not just Chinese I know around here, most of it isn’t Chinese. But I know a bit about Chinese food around here haha! But I actually did explore hong kong. Selfishly that was part of the reason I went back to hong kong two years ago. Well two and a half now, It was summer of 2016. Visiting people, looking around, seeing if I could navigate a big city, I can get adventurous. So I did. I did some food hunting, I didn’t know hong kong at all but I figured out how to get around I have quite a few places reviewed. Not all of them I went by myself but there was a fair few. And I made it from like Mong kok or somewhere around there to Gold coast to visit a blind guy over there or well at least that’s where he worked. He works at crossroads.
That’s true about the iphone and a professional camera, but I guess I was thinking bigger. I mean it would be very interesting if that thing was accessible or even a camera that wasn’t that expensive but a little better than a iphone. Like one of those digital video cameras. But yeah, maybe ideally you can have some at different price rangees?
Haha! It’s not just Chinese I know around here, most of it isn’t Chinese. But I know a bit about Chinese food around here haha! But I actually did explore hong kong. Selfishly that was part of the reason I went back to hong kong two years ago. Well two and a half now, It was summer of 2016. Visiting people, looking around, seeing if I could navigate a big city, I can get adventurous. So I did. I did some food hunting, I didn’t know hong kong at all but I figured out how to get around I have quite a few places reviewed. Not all of them I went by myself but there was a fair few. And I made it from like Mong kok or somewhere around there to Gold coast to visit a blind guy over there or well at least that’s where he worked. He works at crossroads.
estj317 2 points 4y ago
I think the negativity here is unnecessary. The author of this post here is trying to do a good thing.
I think that one that talks to you would be kind of neat have you looked at the iphone apps to give you a better conception of the software you may have to write for a stand alone camera? There are apps to help blind people take pictures already and some teach you to aim and focus on yourself, maybe you can take that kind of idea to learn how to guide users to focus on different objects whether it’s a selfy or a picture of another person or an object? Then there is something like these object recognition stuff. Maybe the camera can tell this person group of people, focused or unfocused or another object like a statue, or a wall, or a cloud. Or blue skies with a few white clouds?
I’ll take the survey.
BTW, I am originally from Hong Kong myself. I immigrated to the states at 4 years old, and now live in California.
I think that one that talks to you would be kind of neat have you looked at the iphone apps to give you a better conception of the software you may have to write for a stand alone camera? There are apps to help blind people take pictures already and some teach you to aim and focus on yourself, maybe you can take that kind of idea to learn how to guide users to focus on different objects whether it’s a selfy or a picture of another person or an object? Then there is something like these object recognition stuff. Maybe the camera can tell this person group of people, focused or unfocused or another object like a statue, or a wall, or a cloud. Or blue skies with a few white clouds?
I’ll take the survey.
BTW, I am originally from Hong Kong myself. I immigrated to the states at 4 years old, and now live in California.
HDMILex 2 points 4y ago
Thanks, I'll fill this out!
Haven't checked the link yet but you're probably better off designing an app for iOS/Android, not a physical camera. Nobody wants to carry around extra junk.
Haven't checked the link yet but you're probably better off designing an app for iOS/Android, not a physical camera. Nobody wants to carry around extra junk.
jasonh79 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Thanks you for helping me. I understand that it is more convenient to do everything with smartphone. I thought carrying a dedicated camera is more for the hobbyist of professionals and this is where I'm exploring.
HDMILex 2 points 4y ago
Good luck building a better camera than Apple/Samsung, because you won't be able to. You're best bet is to build an app for iOS/Android or something similar. Take advantage of their camera quality.
jasonh79 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
Yes, I do find that it is one of the better directions, so i will focus more on user interface. Anyway, thanks for your opinion.
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