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 paper and cardboard or wood.

See a video demonstration of CamIO here, showing how the user can create a new "hotspot" location (i.e., audio label), then get spatial guidance to help find this hotspot, which is triggered when the stylus touches the hotspot location.

See a presentation (pdf available here) of the latest CamIO research on March 12, 2020 at the CSUN Assistive Technology 2020 conference in Anaheim. This research describes a new accessible annotation feature that allows a blind or visually impaired user to independently create and record their own audio labels. This research is described in our CSUN Journal paper, "Towards Accessible Audio Labeling of 3D Objects," which was awarded the 2020 Dr. Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Assistive Technology Research!

CamIO is supported by a four-year grant from NIH/NEI (R01EY025332) and by the NIDILRR RERC grant (90RE5024-01-00).