Researchers Develop Adaptive Technology for Visually Impaired Engineers
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- Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:41:59 -0400
University of Arkansas, AR, USA
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Researchers Develop Adaptive Technology for Visually Impaired Engineers
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - By adding features to commonly used chemical-engineering
software packages, researchers at the University of Arkansas, the University of
Akron and Chemstations Inc. have developed adaptive technology that allows
blind or visually impaired students and working professionals to perform the
essential functions of chemical-engineering process design.
The researchers system includes a screen overlay with tactiles, small objects
embossed with patterns that represent various graphical-user-interface icons.
Led by Bob Beitle, professor of chemical engineering in the College of
Engineering at the University of Arkansas, the research team created a system
that combines tactile, Braille-like representations that can be "read" by
visually impaired chemical engineers. The system also includes an audio,
screen-reading component and audible indicators of certain software functions.
Researchers have also overcome a major obstacle associated with the user
function of dragging and dropping or copying and pasting. A tablet computer
with a customized overlay, a tablet pen functioning as a computer mouse, and
alignment holes mapped to the tactile objects help facilitate the drag-and-drop
function, which is the method that connects unit operations.
"We are far enough into this project for me say that we have significantly
minimized the differences between visually impaired and sighted engineers who
do process design," Beitle said. "While we haven't eliminated all differences,
we have reached a point where a blind chemical engineer can conduct himself as
any engineer by manipulating process-engineering software to achieve
improvements or investigate alternatives."
The system has been extensively tested at a process-engineering firm by Noel
Romey, a graduate student in the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical
Engineering. Romey, who has been blind since birth, came to the university to
study chemical engineering. Since May, he has tested the system by simulating
and designing various chemical facilities. The extensive designs are used by
clients of the design firm to improve manufacturing systems.
The teaching and practice of chemical-engineering design traditionally has had
a strong visual component due to many visual tools that describe concepts and
processes. This reality, combined with the fact that industry-specific software
does not include any adaptive-technology features, means that professors and
engineering professionals have little experience with visually impaired
students, which may contribute to blind and visually impaired students avoiding
the profession.
Beitle's team converted GUIs into TUIs. GUI stands for graphical user
interface, which describes software that relies heavily on icons and visual
tools to represent concepts, functions and processes. Of course, behind any GUI
are codes programmed to execute various user commands, such as opening programs
or dragging documents. To accommodate those who can't rely on visual cues, the
researchers had to alter this visually dependent system into something that
could be felt - a tactile user interface. Their system includes a TabletPC or
CintiQ - personal computers/screens that simulate notepads - and a pen-based
mouse. Most importantly, the system uses custom-made tactiles - small objects
embossed with patterns that represent various GUI icons that symbolize parts,
such as valves, pumps and reactors - and an overlay that is placed on the
screen. The tactiles adhere to the overlay. Alignment holes on the tactiles
allow users to place them at desired locations on the overlay and th
us build process-flow diagrams. Tactile and graphical interfaces are the same
size because when a tactile is clicked, the design is built on the computer
screen under it.
In addition to the computer modifications, the research project has an equally
important psychological component, one that Beitle thinks will help both
sighted and visually impaired engineers. Whether in the classroom or at an
engineering firm, engineers must work as a team on design projects. This
reality made Beitle think about the importance of language and the verbal
exchange of information between blind and sighted professionals. How can design
team members convey technical information when a visual diagram cannot be
relied upon?
To answer this question, Beitle and his design students collaborated with
Douglas Behrend, professor and chair of the psychology department in the J.
William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, and Rachel Schwartz, a
psychology graduate student. Led by Schwartz and Behrend, who is an expert in
cognitive and language development, the researchers studied individuals with
different communication styles and measured the reliance on vague language,
visual cues and gestures. When working with Romey, sighted students seemed to
modify patterns of communication styles in ways that suggested they were
considering the dynamics of working with a visually impaired colleague. Behrend
said this may be explained by group members using metacognition, which
psychologists broadly refer to as individuals' knowledge of and about their own
and others' cognitive processes.
"This added dimension of this project will prepare sighted members of a design
team to communicate effectively in a technical fashion with less reliance on
visual cues," Beitle said.
###
Contact:
Bob Beitle, professor of chemical engineering, Louis Owen Professor of Green
Chemical Process Design and Development, Ralph E. Martin department of chemical
engineering
College of Engineering
(479) 575-7566, rbeitle@xxxxxxxx
Douglas Behrend, professor and chair, department of psychology
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
(479) 575-4256, dbehrend@xxxxxxxx
Matt McGowan, science and research communications officer
University Relations
(479) 575-4246, dmcgowa@xxxxxxxx
http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/11589.htm
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