Coughlan Lab
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ZoomBoard: an Affordable, Portable System to Improve Access to Presentations and Lecture Notes for Low Vision Viewers
The goal of the project is to develop a “ZoomBoard” system that students with low vision can use to better access visual material on a whiteboard or blackboard. The prototype version of the system that we plan to develop in this grant will consist of a dedicated camera system placed by the teacher to capture a view of the board, which wirelessly transmits a video stream that will be displayed on a student’s iPad. The student will use the ZoomBoard app to view this video stream, zoom in on any region of interest using a pinch gesture on the iPad, and apply image enhancements such as contrast…
A Computer Vision-Based Indoor Wayfinding Tool
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 blind or visually impaired, dual sensory loss (hearing and vision loss), neuroscience and psychophysics. All are welcome to attend.
2018
Fri Mar 23, 2018
Jason Jo, Yoshua Bengio. Measuring the tendency of CNNs to Learn Surface Statistical Regularities. Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.11561
Thurs Feb 15, 2018
Tulsiani, Gupta, Fouhey, Efros, Malik. Factoring Shape, Pose, and Layout from…
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-time audio feedback in response to the location on an object that the user is touching. CamIO currently works on iOS using the built-in camera and an inexpensive hand-held stylus, made out of materials such as 3D-printed plastic, paper or wood.
See a video demonstration of CamIO here, showing how the user can trigger audio labels by pointing a stylus at "hotspots" on a 3D map of a playground. See the Ma…
Completed
Tutorials and Reference
These are tutorials and reference materials I have written on various topics in probability and geometry over the years.
Regressions in Braille Reading
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 and Exit signs.
Link to open source code
Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH)
Tactile graphics use raised lines, textures, and elevations to provide individuals with visual impairments access to graphical materials through touch. Tactile graphics are particularly important for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, where educational content is often conveyed using diagrams and charts. However, providing a student who has a visual impairment with a tactile graphic does not automatically provide the student access to the graphic's educational content. Instead, the student may struggle to decipher subtle differences between textures or…
Workshop Series on Computer Vision and Sensor-Enabled Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment
Recent workshop:
Workshop on Environmental Sensing Technologies for Visual Impairment (ESTVI '13 in San Francisco)
ESTVI '13 focused on emerging technologies capable of sensing environmental features for applications in access technologies for persons with visual impairment, including low vision and blindness. The development of environmental sensing technologies (ESTs) and the study of their potential to support the activities of daily living for visually impaired persons is progressing at a rapid pace, and engages many disparate research fields, including computer vision, wearable sensors…
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. Such displays are found on an increasing array of appliances such as microwave ovens, thermostats and home medical devices.
Click here for Display Reader software download.
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. The primary innovation of BLaDE, relative to most commercially available smartphone apps for reading barcodes, is that it provides real-time audio feedback to help visually impaired users find a barcode, which is a prerequisite to being able to read it.
Link to BLaDE software download: http://legacy.ski.org/Rehab/Coughlan_lab/BLaDE/
Click here for YouTube video demo of BLaDE in action.
Crosswatch
Crosswatch is a smartphone-based system developed for providing real-time guidance to blind and visually impaired travelers at traffic intersections. Using the smartphone's built-in camera and other sensors, Crosswatch is designed to tell blind and visually impaired travelers what kind of traffic intersection they are near, how to align themselves properly to the crosswalk, and when the walk light or other traffic light indicates it is time to cross.
Click here for link to zip file containing Crosswatch code (open source) and documentation.
Talking Signs
Centers
Rehabilitation Engineering Research 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-impaired students and consumers. Through collaboration with a broad array of partners and stakeholders in the Description Leadership Network, we are developing advanced video annotation methods for use in a wide variety of educational settings, as well as helping educators and other description providers make better use of the tools already available.
People
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Funding
News
SKERI Receives Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) grant on Blindness and Low Vision
SKERI Engineer Featured on the Blind Abilities Podcast
SKERI Researcher talks Indoor Navigation & Mapping on Blind Bargains
Audiom allows for accessible, virtual visits to the Magical Bridge playground
Brandon Biggs brings his ideas for accessibility to SKERI
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.