SBIR Phase I: MIDI Messenger: Providing Accessibility to the Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

这个小企业和创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目建议为盲人和视力受损的美国消费者提供可访问性，这些消费者在乐器数字接口（MIDI）设备（如电子音乐键盘）的功能方面受到严重限制，因为大多数（如果不是全部的话）MIDI设备都具有不可访问的用户界面。这些界面是不可访问的，主要是因为它们的显示是纯视觉的。膜型按钮也会妨碍易用性。声音选择，创作和操作只是一些基本的MIDI设备功能，音乐家需要能够访问，但目前还不能这样做。音乐专业的学生也需要使用这个功能，这样他们就可以学习和理解声音合成。这个项目将研究使视障音乐家能够使用MIDI设备的可行性。这个项目将尝试用两种不同的方法来解决这些可访问性问题。第一种方法将提供对一些MIDI设备的显示信息的访问。第二种方法将提供对其他MIDI设备的控制。每一种方法的成功将被用来决定在项目的下一阶段应该为每一种方法投入多少努力，这一阶段将集中于为这些设备添加更多的支持和更多的功能。这项拟议中的活动将产生一种产品，为盲人音乐家提供前所未有的音乐设备。MIDI Messenger软件将面向那些想要更多地使用他们的MIDI设备的视障音乐家，以及一些希望在现场使用PDA控制他们的MIDI设备的视力正常的音乐家销售。如果该产品在可访问性市场中变得流行，那么家用电器和ATM机制造商可能更有可能实现该接口。值得注意的是，这项技术有可能使其他非音乐设备以一种不涉及每个型号独特的电子硬件设备的方式访问，就像迄今为止的情况一样。

This Small Business and Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to provide accessibility to the blind and visually impaired American consumers that are severely limited as to what features they can take advantage of on Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) devices, such as electronic musical keyboards, because most, if not all, MIDI devices have inaccessible user interfaces. These interfaces are inaccessible primarily because their displays are purely visual. Membrane-type buttons can also hamper accessibility. Sound selection, creation and manipulation are just some of the basic MIDI device functions that musicians need to be able access but cannot do so at present. Music students also need access to this functionality so that they can learn and understand sound synthesis. This project will investigate the feasibility of making MIDI devices accessible to visually impaired musicians. This project will try to solve these accessibility problems with two separate approaches. The first approach will provide access to the display information of some MIDI devices. The second approach will provide control over other MIDI devices. The success of each approach will be used to determine how much effort should be applied to each approach in the next phase of the project, which will concentrate on adding support for more devices and more features for these devices. The proposed activity will lead to a product that will provide blind musicians unprecedented access to musical devices. MIDI Messenger software will be marketed to visually impaired musicians who want to have more access to their MIDI devices and also to some sighted musicians who wish to control their MIDI devices in a live setting with a PDA, for example. If the product becomes popular in the accessibility market, household appliance and ATM machine manufacturers may be more likely to implement the interface. It is notable that this technology has the potential for making other non-musical appliances accessible in a manner that does not involve electronic hardware devices that are unique to each model, as has been the case heretofore.