Wearable Low Vision Aids based upon Retinal Light Scanning Technologies

9978888Seibel应用先进的电子成像和计算机显示技术来帮助视力残疾人士的问题导致了市场上显示出不值得高价购买的笨重和醒目的眼镜。尽管如此，随着美国公民寿命和活动时间的延长，人们对有效、可穿戴和令人满意的低视力辅助设备的需求更加迫切。有1400万美国人因视力部分丧失和/或视野不足而在日常生活中受到阻碍(国家眼科咨询委员会，1998年)，预计这一数字的增长速度将远远快于人口增长的速度。在这项研究中，一种新的方法正在被采用，它依赖于一种名为视网膜光扫描的新显示技术。通过将来自激光或发光二极管的低功率光束直接扫描到眼睛，当光束被功率调制并扫描穿过视网膜时，就会产生明亮的图像。这一“视网膜上的激光灯光秀”不仅提供了比标准显示器更明亮的显示照明，而且窄光束还提供了前所未有的焦深。我们实验室进行的阅读速度研究表明，视网膜光扫描具有以最小的失真将图像传输到视网膜的巨大潜力。与视网膜光扫描的最新发展相一致，微型相机、可穿戴计算机、实时图像处理和眼镜安装硬件的技术也得到了改进。我们的方法是减少与视网膜光扫描相关的尺寸和成本，这将被重新设计为专门作为可穿戴的低视力辅助设备。我们将整合我们的合作者在相机、可穿戴计算机和图像处理领域的最新进展。这些技术将被整合到原型助视器中，这将成为我们最新的人机界面科学理论的试验台，例如具有视网膜光扫描的增强中心视角的眼镜，同时允许自然观察周围环境，以保持情境感知。我们将与华盛顿州西雅图的盲人服务部和马萨诸塞州波士顿的谢彭斯眼科研究所合作，在从事日常工作的低视力志愿者手中测试低视力助听器的原型及其性能。因此，我们相信，通过使用视网膜光扫描技术作为我们研究工作的基础，可以克服导致以前的高科技助视器缺乏接受度的相同问题。根据我们的经验，为我们社区的部分视力者设计和测试新型助视器的目标对本科生和理工科研究生来说都是非常有动力和回报的工作。

9978888SeibelThe problem of applying advanced electronic imaging and computer display technologies to aid persons with visual disabilities has resulted in bulky and obtrusive eyewear that has been shown in the marketplace not to be worth the high price. Nonetheless, with US citizens both living and staying active longer, there is even greater need for effective, wearable, and desirable low vision aids. There are 14 million Americans that are hampered in their daily lives by partial loss of visual acuity and/or insufficient visual field (National Advisory Eye Council 1998), and that number is expected to rise much faster than the rate of population growth. A new approach is being undertaken in this study, hinging upon a new display technology, called retinal light scanning. By scanning a low power beam of light from a laser or light-emitting diode directly into the eye, a bright image is generated as the beam is modulated in power and scanned across the retina. This 'laser light show on the retina' provides not only brighter display illumination than standard displays, but the narrow beam provides unprecedented depth of focus. Reading speed studies conducted in our laboratory have shown that retinal light scanning has great potential for transferring images to the retina with minimal distortion. In concert with the recent development of retinal light scanning, technological improvements have been made in micro-cameras, wearable computers, real-time image processing, and spectacle-mounted hardware. Our approach is to reduce the size and cost associated with retinal light scanning which will be redesigned specifically as a wearable low vision aid. We will incorporate the latest advancements by our collaborators in the areas of cameras, wearable computers, and image processing. These technologies will be integrated into prototype vision aids that will be a testbed for our newest theories of human-computer interface science, such as spectacles that have an augmented central view from retinal light scanning while allowing natural viewing of the surroundings to maintain situational awareness. In collaboration with the Department of Services for the Blind in Seattle, WA and the Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston, MA, we will test the prototype low vision aids and their performance in the hands of low vision volunteers doing everyday tasks. Thus, we believe the same problems that have led to a lack of acceptance of previous high-tech vision aids can be overcome by using retinal light scanning technology as a basis for our research effort. From our experience, the goals of designing and testing novel vision aids for the partially sighted in our community is highly motivating and rewarding work for both undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students.