L to R: Huiying Shen, Ali Cheraghi, Brandon Biggs, James Coughlan, Charity Pitcher-Cooper, Giovanni Fusco

Coughlan Lab

The goal of our laboratory is to develop and test assistive technology for blind and visually impaired persons that is enabled by computer vision and other sensor technologies.

Tabs

Journal Articles

Ahmetovic, D., Manduchi, R., Coughlan, J., & Mascetti, S.. (2017). Mind your crossings: Mining GIS imagery for crosswalk localization. Acm Transactions On Accessible Computing (Taccess), 9(4). http://doi.org/10.1145/3046790

Tekin, E., Vásquez, D., & Coughlan, J.. (2013). S-K Smartphone Barcode Reader for the Blind. Journal On Technology And Persons With Disabilities, 1.

Coughlan, J., & Shen, H.. (2013). Crosswatch: a system for providing guidance to visually impaired travelers at traffic intersections. Journal Of Assistive Technologies, 7.

Manduchi, R., & Coughlan, J.. (2012). (Computer) vision without sight. Communications Of The Acm, 55, 96–104.

Shen, H., Coughlan, J., & Ivanchenko, V.. (2009). Figure-ground segmentation using factor graphs. Image And Vision Computing, 27, 854–863.

Coughlan, J., & Manduchi, R.. (2009). Functional assessment of a camera phone-based wayfinding system operated by blind and visually impaired users. International Journal On Artificial Intelligence Tools, 18, 379–397.

Shen, H., Chan, K. - Y., Coughlan, J., & Brabyn, J.. (2008). A mobile phone system to find crosswalks for visually impaired pedestrians. Technology And Disability, 20, 217–224.

Walker, L., Verghese, P., & Coughlan, J.. (2007). Where to look next? Eye movements reduce local uncertainty. Journal Of Vision, 7, 6.

Yuille, A. L., Coughlan, J., & Konishi, S.. (2003). The KGBR viewpoint-lighting ambiguity. Journal Of The Optical Society Of America (Josa) A, 20(1).

Yuille, A. L., Coughlan, J., & Konishi, S.. (2001). The KGBR viewpoint-lighting ambiguity and its resolution by generic constraints. Computer Vision, 2001. Iccv 2001. Proceedings. Eighth Ieee International Conference On, 2, 376–382.

Conference Papers

Fusco, G., & Coughlan, J.. (2020). Indoor Localization for Visually Impaired Travelers Using Computer Vision on a Smartphone. In 17th International Web for All Conference: Automation for Accessibility.

Biggs, B., Coughlan, J., & Coppin, P.. (2019). Design and Evaluation of an Audio Game-Inspired Auditory Map Interface. In The 25th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD 2019). Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.

Fusco, G., & Coughlan, J.. (2018). Indoor Localization using Computer Vision and Visual-Inertial Odometry. In International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP '18). Linz, Austria: Linz, Austria.

Coughlan, J., & Miele, J.. (2017). AR4VI: AR as an Accessibility Tool for People with Visual Impairments. In AR for Good, part of ISMAR 2017. IEEE: Nantes, France.

Mascetti, S., Gerino, A., Bernareggi, C., D’Acquisto, S., Ducci, M., & Coughlan, J.. (2017). JustPoint: Identifying Colors with a Natural User Interface. In 19th Int’l ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2017). ACM: Baltimore, MD.

Coughlan, J., & Miele, J.. (2017). Evaluating Author and User Experience for an Audio-Haptic System for Annotation of Physical Models. In 19th Int’l ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2017). ACM: Baltimore, MD.

Rituerto, A., Fusco, G., & Coughlan, J.. (2016). Towards a Sign-Based Indoor Navigation System for People with Visual Impairments. In 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. ACM: Reno, NV.

Fusco, G., Tekin, E., Giudice, N. A., & Coughlan, J.. (2015). Appliance Displays: Accessibility Challenges and Proposed Solutions. In 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. ACM: Lisbon, Portugal. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2700648.2811392

Ahmetovic, D., Manduchi, R., Coughlan, J., & Mascetti, S.. (2015). Zebra Crossing Spotter: Automatic Population of Spatial Databases for Increased Safety of Blind Travelers. In ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2015). http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2700648.2811392

Fusco, G., & Morash, V. S.. (2015). The Tactile Graphics Helper: Providing Audio Clarification for Tactile Graphics Using Machine Vision. In ASSETS.

Presentations/Posters

Fusco, G., Tekin, E., & Coughlan, J.. (2016). An Appliance Display Reader for People with Visual Impairments.

Other Publications

Shen, H., & Coughlan, J.. (2012). Towards a real-time system for finding and reading signs for visually impaired users. In Computers Helping People with Special Needs (pp. 41–47). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Coughlan, J., & Editor: Tyler, C. W.. (2011). Mechanisms for propagating surface information in 3-D reconstruction. In Computer Vision: From Surfaces to 3D Objects. Chapman and Hall/CRC Press.

Tekin, E., & Coughlan, J.. (2012). BLaDE: Barcode localization and decoding engine.

Coughlan, J. (2012). Markov random fields and techniques for performing inference with them.

Coughlan, J. (2010). Maximum Entropy Distributions and Their Relationship to Maximum Likelihood.

Coughlan, J. (2009). A Tutorial Introduction to Belief Propagation.

Coughlan, J. (2009). Basic 3D Geometry for One and Two Cameras.

Coughlan, J. (1999). A Transparent Interpretation of the EM Algorithm.

SKERI Research Recognized with the Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research

We congratulate Dr. James Coughlan, Dr.
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Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center

The Center's research goal is to develop and apply new scientific knowledge and practical, cost-effective devices to understand and address better the real-world problems of blind, visually impaire
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Video Description Research and Development Center

The Smith-Kettlewell Video Description Research and Development Center (VDRDC) investigates innovative technologies and techniques for making online video more accessible to blind and visually-impa
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Regressions in Braille Reading

This project explores regressions (movements to re-read text) in braille reading.

Active

A Computer Vision-Based Indoor Wayfinding Tool

We are creating a smartphone-based indoor navigation app to estimate the user's location in an indoor environment and guide him/her to a desired destination.

Active

Audiom

Picture shows person pointing stylus to plastic model of a biological cell; webcam (not pictured) views model and stylus; computer, connected to webcam, announces "Nucleolus"

Active

CamIO

CamIO (short for “Camera Input-Output”) is a system to make physical objects (such as documents, maps, devices and 3D models) accessible to blind and visually impaired persons, by providing real-ti

Active

Computer Vision Journal Club

The Computer Vision Journal Club meets periodically to discuss papers on topics in computer vision, machine learning and other topics of interest such as assistive technologies for persons who are

Sample indoor sign showing automatic detection in yellow

Active

Sign Finder

This project seeks to develop a computer vision-based system that allows a visually impaired traveler to find and read informational signs, such as signs labeling office doors, streets, restrooms a

Active

Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH)

Tactile graphics use raised lines, textures, and elevations to provide individuals with visual impairments access to graphical materials through touch.

Active

ZoomBoard: an Affordable, Portable System to Improve Access to Presentations and Lecture Notes for Low Vision Viewers

Completed

BLaDE

BLaDE (Barcode Localization and Decoding Engine) is an Android smartphone app designed to enable a blind or visually impaired user find and read product barcodes.

Completed

Crosswatch

Crosswatch is a smartphone-based system developed for providing real-time guidance to blind and visually impaired travelers at traffic intersections.

Zoomed-in view of appliance display partially obscured by glare

Completed

Display Reader

The goal of the Display Reader project is to develop a computer vision system that runs on smartphones and tablets to enable blind and visually impaired persons to read appliance displays.

Completed

Tutorials and Reference

These are tutorials and reference materials I have written on various topics in probability and geometry over the years.

Completed

Workshop Series on Computer Vision and Sensor-Enabled Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment

Recent workshop:

Current

Past

Principal Investigator:

James Coughlan

Contact:

coughlan@ski.org 2318 Fillmore St. San Francisco CA 94115 (415) 345-2146

Funding:

Enabling Audio-Haptic Interaction with Physical Objects for the Visually Impaired

EAGER: Collaborative Research: Malleable Media to Support Interaction through Bi-Directional Touch Displays

Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers

ZoomBoard: An Affordable, Portable System to Improve Access to Presentations and Lecture Notes for Low Vision Viewers

Tactile Graphics Helper iOS App Project

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Coughlan Lab

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Principal Investigator:

Contact:

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