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Archived English translation by Jørn Hecksher of the original November 4, 2001 Swedish article "Titta - nu kan blinda se med öronen!" by Anna Bäsén (copyright © EXPRESSEN.SE).
Blind are able to see with their ears.
A portable camera takes pictures and the computer translates these
into a sound"landscape" which the blind can learn to interpret.
- It's like seeing the world through dirty glasses, says
Pat who has used the invention for over a year.
Peter Meijer works with Philips Rresearch Laboratories
in Holland. He started to develop the computerprogram "The vOICe"
about 16 years ago, but it is not until now that you can use it.
The system consists - besides the software - of a webcamera,
an ordinary portable computer and stereo headphones. This weekend
it is presented at a conference in Copenhagen about
interactive techniques.
One of the persons who have used it for a long time is Pat who lives in
New York. She was blinded in an accident 20 years ago.
Pat has a little spy-camera mounted in a
baseball-cap and she wears the computer in her backpack. The camera
takes a picture every second, the computer reads the pictures
from the left to the right and translates them into a
sophisticated sound-"landscape", or "soundscape".
For example, a dark area is quiet, while a brighter
area gives loud sounds. A little bright area gives
a short note and if it is at the left side of the camera
the sound is heard in the left ear. A square object
gives another sound than a round object. When you approach
an object there is a change in the sound picture.
- It's like seeing the world through dirty glasses.
You can see forms and where things are placed, but you can't
see the details. It's a language my ears
uses to tell my brain what I see, Pat says.
Peter Meijer claims that it takes patience to
learn to use the system. In the beginning the soundscapes
are totally confusing.
- It's something like learning a foreign language,
it takes time, he says.
When Pat uses it she doesn't have to feel ahead of her
to avoid going into things.
Today about ten blind people around the world
are using the invention. Peter Meijer emphasizes that
a lot of research remains.
- One of the questions is if the blind in due course
are able to learn to recognise different objects even
in surroundings they are not used to - for example how
an open door sounds - says Peter Meijer.
Jan Eidvall, product engineer at the enterprise "Enter" who works
with computer aids for the disabled - finds it a very
exciting invention.
- This we must try in Sweden. This is fun. When it comes
to visually disabled peoples' ability to move around without
killing themselves partly - there has not been invented so much
useful stuff after the white cane - he says.
You can test the invention yourself over the Internet.
http://www.seeingwithsound.com
Photograph caption:
Pat has a little spycamera mounted in a baseballcap
and wears the computer in her backpack. The camera takes a picture
every second and the computer translates the pictures to a
sofisticated soundlandscape.
Source URL of original publication by EXPRESSEN.SE: