[blindza] UT-Arlington project that could improve the lives of blind people

From: "Jacob Kruger" <jacobk@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "BlindZA" <blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2009 07:54:17 +0200
Would be nice if they got it right as such.

See article below.

Jacob Kruger
Blind Biker
Skype: BlindZA
'...Fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...'
---original message---
UT-Arlington project that could improve the lives of blind people
is short $300,000.

By GENE TRAINOR.

ARLINGTON - Researchers have developed a wearable device that would
allow blind people to know when a car approaches, find a bathroom
and avoid bumping into a wall. And it could cost as little as $100.

But they must first come up with at least $300,000 to develop a
demonstration model.

Teams of researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington, the
University of Texas at San Antonio and Southwestern Medical Center
have developed Intelligent Eyes, a system of cameras, computer chips,
software and audio equipment that would let visually impaired people
navigate their world.

"We have something that's very unique. That's why we started this
project," said Jean Gao, principal researcher and an assistant
professor in computer science and engineering at UT-Arlington.

The device's relatively low cost means that it could have a far-reaching
impact.

"Most technology for the blind are in the thousands of dollars range,"
said Tommy Craig, president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Texas. "They're hard for blind people to afford." Craig noted that the
unemployment rate for the blind is more than 70 percent.

A flexible system.

Users of Intelligent Eyes would wear glasses in which each lens area
contains a camera to replicate human eyes. The cameras feed information
into a Texas Instruments digital signal processor chip in a device
worn on the body. Software developed by Ninad Thakoor, a UT-Arlington
electrical engineering doctoral student, allows the system to process
data from the surroundings. The information is sent by wireless
technology to an earphone attached to the glasses, where a voice
describes what might be ahead.

"After that the person can take his own action," said Thakoor, 28,
originally from India.

Gao said the system can identify nonmoving and major moving objects
that most people encounter, such as other people, animals and vehicles.

The technology is also flexible. "We can tell if it's a sedan or an
SUV," Gao said. Most objects don't move, she said.

The system has its limits. It cannot, for example,, identify a glass
wall, which is transparent, Gao said. So canes would still be needed.

In 2005, the researchers visited the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind,
a nonprofit group that provides rehabilitation and job training skills,
to understand the needs of vision-impaired people.

'Potential for substantial impact'.

The team of researchers sought a $300,000 grant from the National
Science Foundation, based in Arlington, Va., to allow them to develop
a model. The current system is too bulky to be practical. So the
researchers want slimmer equipment that can be easily worn, Gao said.
That development is costly.

Part of the foundation's letter states: "While a certain optimism is to
be expected (required!) in developing a proposal, the panel does not
believe that the PIs [principal investigators] can accomplish all that
they propose."

"On the positive side, the panel notes many of its concerns are
'fixable.'  . . . There is potential for substantial impact should this
work come to fruition."

In 2005, the Science Foundation turned down the researchers' request.
Officials say they don't discuss rejected proposals.

Since then, improvements have been made to the device. The researchers
plan to request a grant again early next year, Gao said.

Source URL:
http://www.star-telegram.com/arlington_news/story/1114870.html

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[blindza] UT-Arlington project that could improve the lives of blind people

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