Wearable Low Vision Aids based upon Retinal Light Scanning Technologies

9978888塞贝尔：应用先进的电子成像和计算机显示技术来帮助视力有障碍的人，这一问题导致了市场上出现了体积庞大、引人注目的眼镜，这些眼镜不值那么高的价格。然而，随着美国公民寿命和活动时间的延长，对有效、可穿戴和理想的低视力辅助设备的需求也越来越大。有1400万美国人在日常生活中因部分视力丧失和/或视野不足而受到阻碍（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的增长速度。这项研究采用了一种新的方法，依靠一种新的显示技术，称为视网膜光扫描。通过扫描来自激光或发光二极管的低功率光束直接进入眼睛，当光束在功率上被调制并扫描过视网膜时，就会产生明亮的图像。这种“视网膜上的激光秀”不仅提供了比标准显示器更亮的显示照明，而且窄光束提供了前所未有的聚焦深度。在我们实验室进行的阅读速度研究表明，视网膜光扫描在以最小失真将图像传输到视网膜方面具有很大的潜力。随着视网膜光扫描技术的最新发展，微型相机、可穿戴计算机、实时图像处理和眼镜式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，它将被重新设计为一种可穿戴的低视力辅助设备。我们将结合我们的合作者在相机、可穿戴电脑和图像处理领域的最新进展。这些技术将集成到视觉辅助的原型中，这将是我们最新人机界面科学理论的测试平台，例如通过视网膜光扫描增强中心视图的眼镜，同时允许自然地观察周围环境，以保持态势感知。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Schepens眼科研究所合作，测试低视力助视器的原型，以及它们在低视力志愿者手中做日常工作时的表现。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，可以克服导致先前高科技视力辅助设备缺乏接受度的相同问题。从我们的经验来看，为我们社区的弱视人士设计和测试新型视力辅助工具的目标，对理工科本科生和研究生来说，都是一项非常有激励和回报的工作。

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.