Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Anything we can do to help? (self.Blind)
submitted by UnfortunateOkibum
Hey guys, electrical engineer here. Myself, a computer engineer friend of mine, as well as a mechanical engineering friend of mine would like to know what device could we invent to help your community.
iceblinc87 3 points 3y ago
Yes, many devices for people who are blind or visually impaired are very expensive! It probably has to do with how we are such a small market.
Off of the top of my head, there are two things I think that might be useful: sunglasses that can change shade depending on the environment, and a braille device that actually does do accurate braille code for Nemeth.
I have severe photophobia and we are very dark red sunglasses that most people wouldn't need. However, when I go inside, it's still bright, but not so bright that I need that shade anymore. So what happens is I carry around many different sunglasses, or just put up with the one kind. It would be even cooler if the sunglasses had a monocular in them so that I could zoom in on crossing street signs. Or better yet, make an app that tells me when the light is green for every light in the whole world. LOL
As for braille math, that is currently one of the biggest issues with electronic braille. It works well enough with UEB, but not the Nemeth Code. Math is written very differently in many different places, and if you are a person who loves math, it can be very difficult to keep learning. Anything to help make math more accessible is always welcome. Maybe not something new exactly, but something that would help with the stuff that already exists.
Off of the top of my head, there are two things I think that might be useful: sunglasses that can change shade depending on the environment, and a braille device that actually does do accurate braille code for Nemeth.
I have severe photophobia and we are very dark red sunglasses that most people wouldn't need. However, when I go inside, it's still bright, but not so bright that I need that shade anymore. So what happens is I carry around many different sunglasses, or just put up with the one kind. It would be even cooler if the sunglasses had a monocular in them so that I could zoom in on crossing street signs. Or better yet, make an app that tells me when the light is green for every light in the whole world. LOL
As for braille math, that is currently one of the biggest issues with electronic braille. It works well enough with UEB, but not the Nemeth Code. Math is written very differently in many different places, and if you are a person who loves math, it can be very difficult to keep learning. Anything to help make math more accessible is always welcome. Maybe not something new exactly, but something that would help with the stuff that already exists.
Superfreq2 3 points 3y ago
All of the mentioned solutions already exist and are in use.
However, making them cheaper, more available to developing markets, more user friendly, or more durrable are all things you could work on.
I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to help out, but honestly what we need right now are improvements to existing tools rather than new tools in most cases.
However, making them cheaper, more available to developing markets, more user friendly, or more durrable are all things you could work on.
I appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to help out, but honestly what we need right now are improvements to existing tools rather than new tools in most cases.
oskarmbr 3 points 3y ago
>The three most frequently mentioned products that participants thought would be useful but were not yet available were bus station/destination announcement systems, devices that warn a person about barriers, and devices to read documents or signs.
Murat Bengisu PhD (2010) Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired
Individuals in Turkey, Assistive Technology®, 22:3, 163-171, DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2010.492773 $1
Murat Bengisu PhD (2010) Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired
Individuals in Turkey, Assistive Technology®, 22:3, 163-171, DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2010.492773 $1
[deleted] 2 points 3y ago
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Superfreq2 3 points 3y ago
Try an accessible GPS app that also does bus stops like Nearby Explorer. If you have cellular and the GPS accuracy isn't bad where you live, it can do the announcing for you.
Even if you can't find an app like that which has bus stop locations available, you could always mark your own manually.
Still best to ask the bus driver to tell you as well just encase though.
Some public transport apps have destonation alarms built in as well, maybe your transit system has one, or you can use something like the "transit" app.
Even if you can't find an app like that which has bus stop locations available, you could always mark your own manually.
Still best to ask the bus driver to tell you as well just encase though.
Some public transport apps have destonation alarms built in as well, maybe your transit system has one, or you can use something like the "transit" app.
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
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UnfortunateOkibum [OP] 1 points 3y ago
Roger that. The device for barriers exists already. Wish I could’ve built it first because I would’ve made it a heck of a lot cheaper. A device that reads documents or signs...now if that device doesn’t exist then that just sucks because that’s kind of an easy one to build. We’ll look into it for sure.
bradley22 1 points 3y ago
For the documents there’s apps like seeing ai and OCR apps like that.
UnfortunateOkibum [OP] 2 points 3y ago
We were thinking of making an affordable, sleek ebraille book. I believe it’s possible to do this for less than 300$. Another device we were discussing were glasses that someone could wear that identified what objects (signs, cans of soup etc) were in front of them. It would be connected to a Bluetooth to allow voice command too. For example: “iVision, what signs are in front of me?” ... “there is a stop sign coming in 10 ft.” Would that also be something f worth pursuing?
Rethunker 2 points 3y ago
There are quite a few academic papers on these subjects.
Envision glasses support some object recognition, as does the app Seeing AI. And others. But accuracy is and will remain an issue.
Refreshable Braille displays are very hard to make. The Orbit Reader 20 is the cheapest one I know about, so you might want to get one of those—or find a cheaper one, if such exists—and figure out why it costs what it does. Consider also how you’ll have it distributed, who would sell it, who could afford to buy it, etc.
Attend an assistive tech conference and talk to people. I’ve gone to both ATIA and CSUN in the U.S. You’ll make a lot of contacts quickly, and also find out what priorities established companies are already making.
Wherever you may live, you can probably find a community center that offers services for the blind, or you may even be close to a school of the blind. If you build a relationship with someone at an organization like that, you can get a lot of questions answered quickly.
Although assistive technology can be expensive and bulky, even if you see an improvements to be made to the equipment, it can be a very hard market to break into. Asking questions is good, but make some local contacts, read a LOT of papers to see what’s already been done, and then find some non-obvious niche to address.
Good luck!
Envision glasses support some object recognition, as does the app Seeing AI. And others. But accuracy is and will remain an issue.
Refreshable Braille displays are very hard to make. The Orbit Reader 20 is the cheapest one I know about, so you might want to get one of those—or find a cheaper one, if such exists—and figure out why it costs what it does. Consider also how you’ll have it distributed, who would sell it, who could afford to buy it, etc.
Attend an assistive tech conference and talk to people. I’ve gone to both ATIA and CSUN in the U.S. You’ll make a lot of contacts quickly, and also find out what priorities established companies are already making.
Wherever you may live, you can probably find a community center that offers services for the blind, or you may even be close to a school of the blind. If you build a relationship with someone at an organization like that, you can get a lot of questions answered quickly.
Although assistive technology can be expensive and bulky, even if you see an improvements to be made to the equipment, it can be a very hard market to break into. Asking questions is good, but make some local contacts, read a LOT of papers to see what’s already been done, and then find some non-obvious niche to address.
Good luck!
UnfortunateOkibum [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Thanks very much for the advice. I’ll look into what ebraille readers are out there and how they work, but I have a pretty simple idea of how to do it. I wonder if it is similar in tech
Rethunker 1 points 3y ago
If you get some ways into this, I could introduce you to some people. But I certainly encourage tinkering and making prototypes first!
Several promising technologies appear to have died on the vine or stayed in the lab, including electroactive polymers, but there is a long-standing need for cheaper refreshable Braille displays. If you check out the Graphiti refreshabke Braille display you’ll see how expensive these things can get.
Rather than compete with companies like Humanware, it may be better to develop just the new cell technology. The underlying software to handle UEB grades 1 and 2, Nemeth, and languages besides English would require lots of effort that would end up duplicating what others have already done. Getting UEB grade 1 (uncontracted Braille) to work is easy; I wrote software in just a few days that could translate whole books in less than two seconds. Lots of folks could do that; it could be a code gold problem, for all I know. But contracted Braille isn’t something to take lightly, and it’s what Braille users need.
Several promising technologies appear to have died on the vine or stayed in the lab, including electroactive polymers, but there is a long-standing need for cheaper refreshable Braille displays. If you check out the Graphiti refreshabke Braille display you’ll see how expensive these things can get.
Rather than compete with companies like Humanware, it may be better to develop just the new cell technology. The underlying software to handle UEB grades 1 and 2, Nemeth, and languages besides English would require lots of effort that would end up duplicating what others have already done. Getting UEB grade 1 (uncontracted Braille) to work is easy; I wrote software in just a few days that could translate whole books in less than two seconds. Lots of folks could do that; it could be a code gold problem, for all I know. But contracted Braille isn’t something to take lightly, and it’s what Braille users need.
user3928aKN 2 points 3y ago
As you say, the issue is cost. They have obstacles detecting glasses and blind-sticks but they are way too expensive. They have OCR and vision assist glasses too but same deal. I mean these things are out of my range by an order of magnitude.
My real dream product would be an OCR device for reading actual books for under $200-$300.
Less ambitious... the phone-based street navigation software for walking I have tried here in Canada doesn’t work well enough for me to use it. It is *kind of* okay at telling me what street intersection I’m at but it is so buggy on my old phone I just don’t use it—it gets confused which makes me confused. I would love an app or device that worked as well as the navigation devices in cars but for walking.
My real dream product would be an OCR device for reading actual books for under $200-$300.
Less ambitious... the phone-based street navigation software for walking I have tried here in Canada doesn’t work well enough for me to use it. It is *kind of* okay at telling me what street intersection I’m at but it is so buggy on my old phone I just don’t use it—it gets confused which makes me confused. I would love an app or device that worked as well as the navigation devices in cars but for walking.
Superfreq2 2 points 3y ago
Without a boom arm, scanning books with a phone is pretty much impossible. Voice Dream Scanner would probably be your best bet as an app, but you still need good stable light and a well contrasting surface, plus the cameras on older phones aren't as good for OCR.
What you really want is a decent portable USB flatbed scanner and some non A-T priced software like "ABBYY Fine Reader".
If you aren't signed up with Bookshare, CELA, and NNELS already, you should be. Those services are all available for Canadians with print disabilities, and you might be surprised at what books you could find there already scanned and proof read.
As for a GPS? The free version of Nearby Explorer can do what your asking, but not super well. No GPS can, not even a dedicated unit like the Trekker Breeze from Humanware.
You could also try Microsoft Soundscape, it's not a bad one either, though I use the two apps in conjunction.
If you live in the Vancouver Island area, you can get a free Iphone 7 through the Lions club. Just talk to the CFB about it.
What you really want is a decent portable USB flatbed scanner and some non A-T priced software like "ABBYY Fine Reader".
If you aren't signed up with Bookshare, CELA, and NNELS already, you should be. Those services are all available for Canadians with print disabilities, and you might be surprised at what books you could find there already scanned and proof read.
As for a GPS? The free version of Nearby Explorer can do what your asking, but not super well. No GPS can, not even a dedicated unit like the Trekker Breeze from Humanware.
You could also try Microsoft Soundscape, it's not a bad one either, though I use the two apps in conjunction.
If you live in the Vancouver Island area, you can get a free Iphone 7 through the Lions club. Just talk to the CFB about it.
user3928aKN 2 points 3y ago
It’s weird. My old iPod Touch with the Prizmo OCR app could OCR from freehand photos with more accuracy than my flatbed scanner and ABBYY but my iPod and laptop died. I also used the laptop for RegEx with EditPro to do clean-up and Calibre to packed them as epubs to listen to with. once Dream Reader. Now I use Voice Dream Reader on an old android phone for purchased epubs but it is incredibly buggy compared to the iOS implementation. I will take a look at Voice Dream Scanner but like you said, I probably need a boom arm. To be honest I just lost the energy for doing the scanning and clean-up myself and getting it done in Canada by a service is so much more expensive than in the US. But on YouTube I saw these very expensive glasses that do OCR/TTS in real-time like a Kurtzweil reader... even for books just held in your hands naturally. That would be something.
I will check out Nearby Explorer (I think that is the app I gave up on using) and Microsoft Soundscape. The android apps I have tried are too inconsistent to be usable. Tracker Breeze seems cool but the price! I am severe low-vision with 20:160 or 20:180 vision as opposed to legally-blind so I don’t meet the threshold for assistance afaik. I have reasonable form and color perception, just terrible acuity from corneal erosion and very wicked monocular polyopia. Medicare would not cover corrective surgery for me or my son who also developed karetoconus although some families are currently suing the province about it. The surgeon said I was too old and too far advanced for a likely good outcome but I paid out of pocket for my son’s surgeries and treatment and he now has 20:20 vision that the surgeon says should be permanent.
I will check out Nearby Explorer (I think that is the app I gave up on using) and Microsoft Soundscape. The android apps I have tried are too inconsistent to be usable. Tracker Breeze seems cool but the price! I am severe low-vision with 20:160 or 20:180 vision as opposed to legally-blind so I don’t meet the threshold for assistance afaik. I have reasonable form and color perception, just terrible acuity from corneal erosion and very wicked monocular polyopia. Medicare would not cover corrective surgery for me or my son who also developed karetoconus although some families are currently suing the province about it. The surgeon said I was too old and too far advanced for a likely good outcome but I paid out of pocket for my son’s surgeries and treatment and he now has 20:20 vision that the surgeon says should be permanent.
Superfreq2 1 points 3y ago
You would be eligible for the services I mentioned regardless of your level of blindness, as long as you have significant trouble reading print.
These services are even available to dyslexics. All you need is a doctor's note in almost all cases.
Each of those also allows book requests, though obviously audio would take much longer, and you would need something with an ISBN.
Bookshare is the only non free one I think, but if you/your son are currently students at a recognized educational institution than you should be able to get a free account I think.
These services are even available to dyslexics. All you need is a doctor's note in almost all cases.
Each of those also allows book requests, though obviously audio would take much longer, and you would need something with an ISBN.
Bookshare is the only non free one I think, but if you/your son are currently students at a recognized educational institution than you should be able to get a free account I think.
user3928aKN 1 points 3y ago
Thank you.
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
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achromatic_03 1 points 3y ago
instant fold and unfold white cane....the telescoping kind are too flimsy for actual use and are more for identification, but the folding canes, we would love it if there was a way to like push a button and they unfold or fold themselves because the cane already takes up a hand and if you're holding something else, it's hard to fold your cane...unfolding is a little easier one-handed I guess, so the focus would be folding if it were up to me.
UnfortunateOkibum [OP] 1 points 3y ago
The main issue is having a problem with is making the device with as least moving parts as possible. Electro-magnets would do the job but they’re also somewhat large. So, I was thinking of designing my own electromagnet for this specific purpose. That’s the main issue for me right now. You could make it inexpensive but it would have many moving parts, which I don’t want. I was toying with the idea of a simple printed circuit board as the driving source but I really don’t want little springs, or elbows etc
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
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