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Microsoft Forms - Feedback for Spectium: Glasses to aid the blind (self.Blind)
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bjayernaeiy 5 points 3y ago
The Drive file is unopenable, I get "Owner prevented downloads and playback of this audio file.".
Anyway, information about your glasses is sparce in your post, what do they do? Give us some more information.
Anyway, information about your glasses is sparce in your post, what do they do? Give us some more information.
HexadecimalHero 1 points 3y ago
Regarding the Drive file, is it just the Drive file on this Reddit page or within the Microsoft form as well? I will change the Drive file on the Reddit page now.
HexadecimalHero 1 points 3y ago
Some more information about Spectium:
The glasses continuously play a sound to the user, that varies in volume depending on the distance from an object around them.
The distance is calculated using ultrasonic sensors, which bounces an ultrasonic sound wave at a high frequency and using the time it returns to calculate this.
A calibration system app is used to determine the lowest point which the user can hear, in order to make it a better product for the blind, which is achieved by playing a sound progressively louder until the presses the stop button and this value is used as the bottom value when sounds are played to the user.
A cut off point is implemented to prevent the device from being annoying, which is selected by the user, i.e if the cut-off point is 1 metre, then any object detected that is further than 1 metre is not played as a sound to the user until it becomes closer to them than this.
Hopefully, this information helps, but if you have any specific questions I would love to answer!
Now I am simply focussing upon making the innovation better and more suited to the blind, by making it more user-friendly, and I am achieving this in due accordance to manuals, books, videos and factsheets provided online, such as those from the RNIB (Royal National Institute Of Blind People, and so would love any additional advice!
Thank you again for taking the time to do the form if you have!
The glasses continuously play a sound to the user, that varies in volume depending on the distance from an object around them.
The distance is calculated using ultrasonic sensors, which bounces an ultrasonic sound wave at a high frequency and using the time it returns to calculate this.
A calibration system app is used to determine the lowest point which the user can hear, in order to make it a better product for the blind, which is achieved by playing a sound progressively louder until the presses the stop button and this value is used as the bottom value when sounds are played to the user.
A cut off point is implemented to prevent the device from being annoying, which is selected by the user, i.e if the cut-off point is 1 metre, then any object detected that is further than 1 metre is not played as a sound to the user until it becomes closer to them than this.
Hopefully, this information helps, but if you have any specific questions I would love to answer!
Now I am simply focussing upon making the innovation better and more suited to the blind, by making it more user-friendly, and I am achieving this in due accordance to manuals, books, videos and factsheets provided online, such as those from the RNIB (Royal National Institute Of Blind People, and so would love any additional advice!
Thank you again for taking the time to do the form if you have!
heyimbre 1 points 3y ago
Found a working audio link in the form. $1
heyimbre 1 points 3y ago
Although its just reading the form's text
bjayernaeiy 2 points 3y ago
There was a problem playing this audio file.
Wow, really? Why do both then?
Wow, really? Why do both then?
HexadecimalHero 1 points 3y ago
Sorry for repeating the audio file, I was unaware of another way to play audio for the question, but now have updated the form since there is already an option to read out the questions, but left the audio for the options, as I cannot think of another way to make the form accessible. Apologies again for any inconvenience!
Laser_Lens_4 3 points 3y ago
BenandGracie 2 points 3y ago
Some blind people can do this without glasses. I happen to be one of them. Also, other products do the same thing. What is different about yours?
HexadecimalHero 1 points 3y ago
Thank you for the reply, and as a response, this is where my future ideas will come through: detecting the temperature of objects and alert blind people of this; Using surround sound to play sound, so you can map exactly where the object is; utilising machine learning and AI to determine whether an object is un-necessary to alert the user of, or necessary, for example, if a moving vehicle is beyond the cut-off point (so they wouldn't usually be told of it) they will be informed as the glasses can detect that it poses a danger to the user.
And even currently, I am not aware of glasses that use bone conduction technology and solve this problem, which allows for better social integration, since one can hear their surroundings while being informed and also permits it to function for the deaf-blind.
And so, therefore as a summary, even for those that can gain a basic spatial awareness without glasses, all of the extra information that the glasses can inform to the blind, I think is invaluable, and at no cost or inconveniences to them.
How do you understand the temperature of objects around you on a day-to-day basis?
And using your method of navigating, which I would love to know, by the way, does this allow you to map out the exact place of the objects as surround sound would?
Thank you again for your excellent question!
And even currently, I am not aware of glasses that use bone conduction technology and solve this problem, which allows for better social integration, since one can hear their surroundings while being informed and also permits it to function for the deaf-blind.
And so, therefore as a summary, even for those that can gain a basic spatial awareness without glasses, all of the extra information that the glasses can inform to the blind, I think is invaluable, and at no cost or inconveniences to them.
How do you understand the temperature of objects around you on a day-to-day basis?
And using your method of navigating, which I would love to know, by the way, does this allow you to map out the exact place of the objects as surround sound would?
Thank you again for your excellent question!
BenandGracie 2 points 3y ago
I'm not sure why you want to use glasses to give me the temperature of an object. I can just walk up to something and hhold my hand out to see if it is hot or cold.
AS for how my navigation works, it is like a collision avoidance system in a car. I can tell if a door is open or closed when walking up to a building. I can also tell when I have reached the end of a block because the buildings end. You should really look in to Echo Location.
The other product I was thinking of was a thing you wear on your arm that detects obsticles in front of you. I can't remember the name.
I am not trying to discourage you, but we see stuff like this posted here on a weekly basis., and most of the time these things never show up.
AS for how my navigation works, it is like a collision avoidance system in a car. I can tell if a door is open or closed when walking up to a building. I can also tell when I have reached the end of a block because the buildings end. You should really look in to Echo Location.
The other product I was thinking of was a thing you wear on your arm that detects obsticles in front of you. I can't remember the name.
I am not trying to discourage you, but we see stuff like this posted here on a weekly basis., and most of the time these things never show up.
HexadecimalHero 1 points 3y ago
Yes, I understand and I really do appreciate the insight as it has been very difficult to receive advice or fully comprehend the issues that the blind face on a day to day basis due to coronavirus.
However, regarding the temperature, I aim to integrate it to combat the issue of scalding from extremely high or low temperature, which I am unsure if you are able to detect, please tell me if you can and how if so.
And also, have you seen bone conduction technology used in an innovation like this, such as the thing you described that you wear on your arm that you were referring to?
Furthermore, about echolocation, this was where I originally got the concept for Spectium, since I thought it could be applied to this very concept for the blind, is there anything specifically you believe that I should look into about echolocation?
Lastly, within your final sentence what did you mean by stating that '*these things never show up*', as in they are never created?
Thank you so much again, this is super helpful!
However, regarding the temperature, I aim to integrate it to combat the issue of scalding from extremely high or low temperature, which I am unsure if you are able to detect, please tell me if you can and how if so.
And also, have you seen bone conduction technology used in an innovation like this, such as the thing you described that you wear on your arm that you were referring to?
Furthermore, about echolocation, this was where I originally got the concept for Spectium, since I thought it could be applied to this very concept for the blind, is there anything specifically you believe that I should look into about echolocation?
Lastly, within your final sentence what did you mean by stating that '*these things never show up*', as in they are never created?
Thank you so much again, this is super helpful!
devinprater 1 points 3y ago
First, it kinda seems like you've not really interacted with blind people before considering this idea, and winning an award for it. Have you heard of screen readers? They are how we can "listen" to your form without needing another audio file.
The wristband that also uses sonar is called the Suno Band, and it uses vibration to tell the wearer about upcoming objects. I didn't like it when I used it, because I found things just as well with my cane and using my ears. My echolocation skills aren't as great as others' as I have mild hearing loss, but they still work well enough. Really, if I'm going to wear something technical, it'd better do much more than simply acting as slightly more technical versions of my cane and ears. Sure, the glasses may protect against branches, but I don't really go anywhere where that's a problem.
I use an Apple Watch. Now that's a great wearable device. It can alert me to messages and notifications, tell me just how inactive I am, and even let me browse Twitter and Reddit on it. Your glasses, from what I'm hearing, just sit there and beep at me. That's, almost insulting, like I'm some bat that needs that kind of unwanted noise. '
As far as finding out the temperature of something, have you ever held your hands above a hot stove, or around a fire? Please don't start a large fire just to find out, if you've not. But you can *feel* heat, or cold air too. Also, when we grow up, we usually have the mental capability to know that a stove is hot, when we've touched it a time or two. Also, if the day is very sunny, we know that the roof of a car is hot. And, if the day is very cold, we know that the front door to our houses may be cold. Really, we are *like* normal people, just without vision. Yes, we have our own culture, we have our rockstars like Brandon Cole and the Jamie Teh and Marco Zehe or however you spell his name. We have workarounds for stuff. But I don't see a need for these glasses if all they do is what we can already pretty well do using our cane, or guide dog if one has one of those.
So, I'd say, put your great talents to use in making computing better. Contribute to the NVDA project, or make a game accessible using Retroarch, or help finish making Final Fantasy 1 accessible, or make an open source project, like, oh I don't know, just about all Linux Desktop Environments accessible! Or make an Emacspeak speech server for Windows so I can try switching to that from the Mac with its decaying accessibility! Mostly though, ask us what we need *before* beginning a project. Don't be like the US government or Apple, and just do something and then shove it at people and hope that's what they really want.
The wristband that also uses sonar is called the Suno Band, and it uses vibration to tell the wearer about upcoming objects. I didn't like it when I used it, because I found things just as well with my cane and using my ears. My echolocation skills aren't as great as others' as I have mild hearing loss, but they still work well enough. Really, if I'm going to wear something technical, it'd better do much more than simply acting as slightly more technical versions of my cane and ears. Sure, the glasses may protect against branches, but I don't really go anywhere where that's a problem.
I use an Apple Watch. Now that's a great wearable device. It can alert me to messages and notifications, tell me just how inactive I am, and even let me browse Twitter and Reddit on it. Your glasses, from what I'm hearing, just sit there and beep at me. That's, almost insulting, like I'm some bat that needs that kind of unwanted noise. '
As far as finding out the temperature of something, have you ever held your hands above a hot stove, or around a fire? Please don't start a large fire just to find out, if you've not. But you can *feel* heat, or cold air too. Also, when we grow up, we usually have the mental capability to know that a stove is hot, when we've touched it a time or two. Also, if the day is very sunny, we know that the roof of a car is hot. And, if the day is very cold, we know that the front door to our houses may be cold. Really, we are *like* normal people, just without vision. Yes, we have our own culture, we have our rockstars like Brandon Cole and the Jamie Teh and Marco Zehe or however you spell his name. We have workarounds for stuff. But I don't see a need for these glasses if all they do is what we can already pretty well do using our cane, or guide dog if one has one of those.
So, I'd say, put your great talents to use in making computing better. Contribute to the NVDA project, or make a game accessible using Retroarch, or help finish making Final Fantasy 1 accessible, or make an open source project, like, oh I don't know, just about all Linux Desktop Environments accessible! Or make an Emacspeak speech server for Windows so I can try switching to that from the Mac with its decaying accessibility! Mostly though, ask us what we need *before* beginning a project. Don't be like the US government or Apple, and just do something and then shove it at people and hope that's what they really want.
HexadecimalHero 2 points 3y ago
Thank you, this helps a lot, I think I will commit my time and programming to make something better and more useful for the blind, which will help more so, such as making something more accessible, and definitely will ask on the subreddit before asking! Thank you so much!
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