Coughlan Lab

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

Coughlan, J., Biggs, B., Rivière, M. - A., & Shen, H.. (2020). An Audio-Based 3D Spatial Guidance AR System for Blind Users. In 17th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs.

Fusco, G., Cheraghi, S. Ali, & Coughlan, J.. (2020). An Indoor Navigation App using Computer Vision and Sign Recognition. In 17th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs.

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.

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.

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.

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

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). Basic 3D Geometry for One and Two Cameras.

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

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

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
View Center
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
View Center

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

Audiom is a tool that allows blind and visually impaired individuals to view maps completely in audio. It is a web component and can be embedded into any webpage, similar to Google Maps.

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

Regressions in Braille Reading

This project explores regressions (movements t

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

Ali Cheraghi - Postdoctoral Fellow
Brandon Biggs - Engineer
Charity Pitcher-Cooper - Scientific Program Coordinator
Giovanni Fusco - Scientific Software Research Analyst
Huiying Shen - Staff
Santani Teng - Associate Scientist

Past

Alejandro Rituerto - Head of R&D in Vision at Mybrana
Daisy Lei - Lab Assistant
Ender Tekin - Associate Scientist at The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Laura Walker - Associate Scientist
Pannag Sanketi - Tech Lead Manager/Senior Staff Software Engineer at Google
Valerie Morash - Postdoctoral Fellow (deceased)
Vidya Murali - Technical expert in applied machine learning at Ford Research
Volodymyr Ivanchenko - Software Engineer at Waymo

Audiom allows for accessible, virtual visits to the Magical Bridge playground

The Magical Bridge Foundation mission is to bring inclusive, accessive playgrounds that can be enjoyed by all children. For the first time, it is now possible for blind and visually impaired visitors to view a nonvisual map of the Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, at home, directly from their web browser using Audiom . Audiom was developed by Smith-Kettlewell researcher, Brandon Biggs , is...

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SKERI Researcher talks Indoor Navigation & Mapping on Blind Bargains

The work of Dr. James Coughlan and Brandon Biggs was again recognized at the annual CSUN conference, where Brandon was interviewed for a podcast on Blind Bargains, a source for news and resources for the blind community.

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

We congratulate Dr. James Coughlan , Dr. Huiying Shen and Brandon Biggs, MDes on winning the Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research with their publication Towards Accessible Audio Labeling of 3D Objects that aims to harness smart phone-based technology to query information about a multitude of objects in users' daily lives. The award is given out annually to the top...

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Tabs

Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center

Video Description Research and Development Center

A Computer Vision-Based Indoor Wayfinding Tool

Audiom

CamIO

Computer Vision Journal Club

Sign Finder

Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH)

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

BLaDE

Crosswatch

Display Reader

Regressions in Braille Reading

Tutorials and Reference

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

Audiom allows for accessible, virtual visits to the Magical Bridge playground

SKERI Researcher talks Indoor Navigation & Mapping on Blind Bargains

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

Principal Investigator:

James Coughlan

Contact:

External Collaborators:

Funding: