A consortium of research institutes and Universities is developing a system prototype, which with the help of clever algorithms and technology to convert spatial information into 3D acoustic maps would enable the blind see. For real-time image processing, Boffins from the University of Bristol have designed an algorithm that helps identify objects and obstacles. While researchers from the University of Laguna, Spain, have devised a technique to transform that visual image into 3D pictures of sound.
Imbibing the technology, two prototypes have been developed and tested in real world environment by the visual impaired. M1 is the first prototype, which has a glass mounted system using laser sensors to calculate distance between obstacles and objects with 0 to 5m in a 60º field of view, thus helping the blind recognize chairs and trees, from the sound picture they receive.
Adding to the same is M2 the second prototype, which has two digital cameras attached to the helmet to notify of the moving object and its path. Thus, the blind by wearing headphones is able to recognize objects around him through sound alterations with movement. Letting the brain interpret objects as points in spaces, the stereo audio system along with the lasers and cameras (which work as the blind’s eye) pushes the voice to be louder as the object is approached and lighter as the person moves away from it.
With the movement of the head the system also alters sound so that as the surrounding changes the vision for the blind changes accordingly. If the obstruction falls on the right the sound it heard on your right, and vise versa, and when something is approaching the person, the equipment warns him with sound asking him to move aside. The technique has considerable potential and I think the blind would definitely benefit from this novel method if it can hit production at affordable cost.
