I do recall, when in training, much attention being directed
to avoid skewing.
Bye for now,
Carolyn
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Noel
Runyan
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2016 7:58 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: a new Optacon is virtually complete
Charles,
The reason we are so interested in having a one-handeded
Optacon comes from an early experiment done at Telesensory
Systems, where they strapped a tactile array on top of one
of the cameras. They found that a reader was able to double
her reading rate after using the piggy-backed unit for about
two weeks. Additionally, when TSI was working with their
system that recorded the camera images as someone read with
the Optacon, and then played it back for them to read again
on the tactile array, users complained that the image seemed
to be "jumping all over" and their reading rate and accuracy
dropped drastically, even though they were rereading the
paragraph they had read a few minutes before.
These experiments made it clear that there was a lot of
camera tracking feedback information flowing across the
brain, from the side controling the camera hand to the side
of the brain that was recognizing the tactile image felt on
the other hand.
The assumption is that the corpus callosum in the middle of
the brain is delaying and adding noise to the image tracking
data, hence complicating the camera tracking/control and
image recognition process.
Optimizing the tactile image recognition rate and accuracy
depends critically upon keeping the camera tracking on the
center of the text line and keeping the camera from tilting
too much. This requires the brain to juggle a lot of
information back and forth across the brain of a two-handed
Optacon user.
Charles, I'm sorry that you haven't been able to get hold of
me through the NBP CBI, so I'll send you my contact
information off-list.
Thanks for your interest and efforts in the challenge of
improving the Optacon design.
Cordially,
Noel
-]
Noel H. Runyan
Email: Noel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-
At 02:52 PM 7/5/2016, Charles Pond wrote:
Hello Noel. I tried without success to contact you andothers through
the CBI about several tactile technologies.the optacon
Your neuropsych question is an interesting one. Although
is more of an haptic device than tactile, there is noreason for having
the camera in one hand and the tactile array on the other.I suppose
it is a matter of training. Yes, this could be done. Atthis tage,
the optacon's dedicated camera is small, something like aplastic lego
block with the four round dots atop. It can get into thosenifty tight
places where the sun never shines, so I defaulted to astandard
two-handed design to keep the camera small and agile, butthat can
easily be changed since the optacon III is modular at thispoint for
bench work. Interesting studies might have to be doneregarding
one-handed optacon use vs two-handed. If we can readbraille with one
hand and excite the stretch and the pressure receptors ofthe reading
finger within several levels, then it stands to reason thatone can
learn to use a one-handed-based optagoner. My only concernis that the
tiny camera/tactile part would then of needs becomeslightly bigger
than our traditional optacon camera. One of the featureson the wish
list is that an optacon camera would fit into small places.At this
point, one can take a picture of an object to be read ifthe camera
cannot sit atop it directly, or for display scrolling aswith some
modern household appliances, and go through it with theoptacon in
non-real time, or use the optacon in real-time. Perhapsthe good
people in Ottawa west here can come up with an even bettercamera
design to take a one-handed optacon into account. Let mework on it.
The challenge is not a camera; it is the housing needed tofit a
display and a camera which can still squeeze into refined,haptic
dancesnot air
This "aura" I feel using the electrostrictive display is
moving. It likely has something to do with the heavymagnetic and
electrical fields used in what one might loosely call thevery
specialized and peculiar type of "electric Halbach Array"and its
associated, specialized "Screen Electrode". I have felt asimular aura
around magnetic equipment and ultrasonic equipment, forjust two
examples. If it is harmful, well, there goes that.Hopefully it is
just an artifact like coil whine in CRT monitors, TVs, insome optacons
for that matter, even in some laptops of today. Somepeople and our
cats can hear it and it drives us nuts, while others cannothear it and
so are unaware or indifferent to the coil whine; so itmight be with
this aura. If I cannot factor it out, then I'll use aferrostrictive
barrier as one of several ways to eliminate it if itbecomes necessary.
Hard to get any reading on it using any type of RF or Teslaprobe.
cross-talk: neither
Fortunately, using both displays show no actuator
the resonating magnetic display, nor the electrostrictivedisplay (the
latter is essentially a solid state display), albeit I havebuilt in
the necessary logic to remove any possibility of actuatorcross-talk
for the drivers of the resonating magnetic display. So, Ibelieve this
aura is not something analogous to Mach's interferencepatterns. The
aura is another interesting subject in and of itself, andit does open up certain strange mysteries.
(the
As for the high current, medium voltage use of the display
electronics is not really an issue), I still have notproperly
researched beyond the standard charge pump supplies andswitch mode
supplies, so I am sure the 4 D-cell pack can be replaced bysomething
smaller and more discrete when God, failing health and timepermit me
to tackle the power issue. In addition to a well-designedpower
supply, I have several ideas of how to fundamentally reducepower usage
by the displays, albeit this will take some serious nutsand bolts work
bench stuff. I wouldn't mind attempting it on thesimulator (the
engineers say wryly, never trust the simulator), but atthis point
where I am located it has been all but impossible to findsomeone who
is photon-dependent and who can actually do the stuff as soinstructed because they know how.
complete
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: Noel Runyan
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 4:56 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: a new Optacon is virtually
design force
Charles,
If the large battery and other elements of your current
the unit to be in two packages, wouldn't it be best topackage the
battery in a cable-tethered unit and package the camera andtactile
display in a second unit? That way, it would have theadvantages of
having the camera tracking and tactile display in one handand using
the same side of the brain?system, I
Much as I'd like to have a single package for the whole
wouldn't mind too much having a two unit system, as long asone unit
housed both the camera and the tactile display.to develop
Frankly, I think it would be mostly a sad waste of effort
an Optacon III that doesn't integrate the camera andtactile display
into a single unit, whether or not there is a second unitcabled to it.
Can you describe a little more about the aura effect you'veencountered
with the tactile display? Is it perhaps something likeMach bands that
human retinas and some other image systems have, showingfine fringes
along high contrast borders of images?actuators
Does the aura maybe come from interference between adjacent
when packaged close together?easily
Cordially,
Noel
-
Noel Runyan
Phone: (408) 866-7564
At 08:01 AM 7/5/2016, Charles Pond wrote:
Thank you, Susan. As it is now, an optacon III can be
optacon IIassembled, which is like a fancied up, slightly smaller
pixels arewith improvements and refinements. The display's tactile
them. To acloser to gether than the R1D, and there are more of
One usespoint and to a limit, more is better.
Two differing display technologies have been developed.
needles) for the actuators.tiny resonating solenoid-like devices (like small
uses anThe other is a more-or-less solid state display which
created. Ielectrostrictive surface on which the tactile image is
thelooked at using ferrostrictive surfaces, but returned to
exhibit oddelectrostrictive. The electrostrictive display can
sure if thiseffects at times such as an aura which can be felt. Not
extent fromis good.
For now, until I pay off my medical debt and to some
your pick),church complications (whether it be heart or heart take
optacon IIIand I have the legal and administrative framework for the
optacon III.projec properly set upt I can do little more work on the
bench, IIf I have spent one tenth of my optacon time at the work
do whathave spent nine tenths of my optacon time attempting to
were not; so,others formerly here said they were actually doing but
necessary, theyalthough these administrative matters are certainly
nuts anddistract the work bench guy from actually working on the
The ownersbolts of an optacon III where my experience is best used.
supposed to beof Tactile Vision Graphics--Rebecca and Emanual--were
project so Isetting up financial and administration for the optacon
although theycould give my attention to design and development, but
and so work onwanted credit, they usurped resources an valuable time
pretended toholding up their own slipping businessk while having
support theirhave been working on optacon III matters, and now to
lifestyle they are engaged in a mis-representative public
activities,money-raising campaign for their own use; not illegal
at the costsimply irresponsible, unwise, less than honourable and
If theirof other people amounting to many thousands of shekels.
and the needbusiness is slipping, it is not for obsolete technology
resources, andfor a paradigm shift; it is the way they have mis-used
owned thein not treating customers nearly as well as those who
andbusiness before them--Ed and Cecile who were fine, gentle
in Ottawa inexcellent people. There was a conference scheduled here
focusing on optaconlate 2014 early 2015 which was to have considered
knowing this,research and focusing money on the project. However,
here) inRebbeca and Emanuel (and another engineer on the side
community wouldeffect, had the money and research cancelled so the
focus more onnot be distracted by an optacon porject, and ultimately
rather thantheir present, slipping Tactile Vision Graphics business
dismissed engineerthe intended optacon project. In fareness to the
honestly thathere, he simply presented his view as a sighted person
was notan optacon device was obsolete at best; to his credit he
of Tactileinvolved at all in the less than straight tactile tactics
forward veryVision Graphics Inc. Therefore, for now I can move
2017 tolittle on the optacon III until at least next February
portable power aspect.improve it and refine aspects including the challenging
project and
If I had someone upright who could take the optacon III
to steelmake it happen (a number of people and groups have tribed
whythe display technology and make it their own--don't know
would handexactly--they care not for the optacon user community), I
successfully on anit over to them. No one, however, is working
it. Thereoptacon III project, let alone having reached this far on
join forcesare a few research attempts, and I wish we could simply
barrier. Ito make the optacon world a reality and a better place.
It is not so. People have said the display has been the
compared tosay that the display has been the "easiest" aspect by far
III has speechother optacon project aspects.
In order to appeal to several user groups, the optacon
So, oneoutput and OCR capabilities. It also has a media player.
reading includingcan take this device around, use it for any type of
the goodsomething like the KNFB Reader function, and certainly as
to mediaol' optacon itself by default, and also use it to listen
at buildingfiles--a minor feature overall.
Although I have barely made a start on this, I am looking
to use thein remote and computerized tutorials so people can learn
education is oneoptacon and of course their print characters. Early
handle, andkey. It is a multi-facted, large project for just one to
person to beit is not healthy project-wise generally for just one
such as thisresponsible in all of its aspects for an entire project
example--developed here attype. The artificial heart implant for
person.the Hart Institute--would have never depended on one
complete
Best regards, Susan,
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Webber
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2016 9:43 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: a new optacon is virtually
memory serves
Hi Charles
Great to see your post since somewhere in last year if
Insuranceme right. All the best with the project.
Kind regards
Susan Webber, Pretoria South Africa
For your financial wellness
Susan Webber
Audit: Momentum Client and Intermediary Service Retail
0046
Cell +27 (0)82 492 2004 Tel +27 (0)12 675 3102
Susan.Webber@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
268 West Avenue Centurion 0157 PO Box 7400 Centurion
financialwww.momentum.co.za
Momentum, a division of MMI Group Limited, an authorised
Althoughservices and credit provider Reg. No. 1904/002186/06
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Charles Pond
Sent: 04 June 2016 06:12 AM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] a new optacon is virtually complete
A new and feature-rich optacon is now virtually complete.
one-handedit is two-handed because of the chunky battery for now, a
rendering aoptacon can be built. The over-worried-about process of
easily solvedmegapixel image down to a few hundred tactuators was
was that.over lunch in a few intuitive flash minutes, and so that
automated tutorialsThe main area now, if one wishes to persue it, is
instruction is notand remote and in-built teaching where personal
been developed;available. Two specialized display technologies have
beyond theboth work just fine for the optacon application. So,
can indeedyears of our own needs in the here and now, the optacon
"unsubscribe" (withouttontinue.
Happy finger fuzz,
Charles in Ottawa
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