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Communication System for the Blind Using Tactile Displays and Ultrasonic Pens – MIMIZU

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Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 3118))

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Abstract

A new Communication system for the blind has been developed. The system, named MIMIZU, is composed of a pair of terminals equipped with refreshable tactile graphic display and ultrasonic pen device. Using the terminal, a blind user can make drawings directly as he likes on the tactile surface with ultrasonic pen. The other blind user can recognize the tactile image appeared on the other terminal by touching it. In this way, the system can support communication between blind users by means of tactile graphics. We describe results of simple experiments in which a subject tried to transmit simple drawings to the other subject. The results show difficulty of transmitting a shape of circle without preliminary information because resolution of the display was not enough. However, it is useful to transmit shapes composed of straight lines. And even if the shape is a circle, the user can recognize it when he has information in advance.

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References

  1. Heller, A.M., Brckett, D.D., Scroggs, E.: Tangible Picture Matching by People Who Are Visually Impaired. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 349–353 (May 2002)

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  2. Kurze, M.: TDraw: A Computer-based Tactile Drawing Tool for Blind People. In: ASSETS 1996, Vancouver, pp. 131–138 (1996)

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  3. Kobayashi, M., Watanabe, T.: A Tactile Display System Equipped with a Pointing Device – MIMIZU. In: Miesenberger, K., Klaus, J., Zagler, W.L. (eds.) ICCHP 2002. LNCS, vol. 2398, pp. 527–534. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Universities Corporation Tsukuba College of Technology, Kasuga 4-12-7, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, Japan

    Makoto Kobayashi

  2. National Institute of Special Education, Nobi 5-1-1, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa, Japan

    Tetsuya Watanabe

Authors
  1. Makoto Kobayashi
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  2. Tetsuya Watanabe
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Integriert Studieren, Johannes Kepler Universität, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria

    Klaus Miesenberger

  2. Studienzentrum fuer Sehgeschaedigte, Universitaet Karlsruhe (TH), Germany

    Joachim Klaus

  3. fortec - Research Group on Rehabilitation Technology, Institute integrated study, Vienna Univ. of Technology, Favoritenstr. 11/029, A-1040, Vienna, Austria

    Wolfgang L. Zagler

  4. INSERM U592 – Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Association BrailleNet, 9, quai Saint Bernard, 75252, Paris cedex 05, France

    Dominique Burger

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kobayashi, M., Watanabe, T. (2004). Communication System for the Blind Using Tactile Displays and Ultrasonic Pens – MIMIZU. In: Miesenberger, K., Klaus, J., Zagler, W.L., Burger, D. (eds) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3118. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-27817-7_109

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-27817-7_109

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-22334-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-27817-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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