SBIR Phase II: A Dynamic Tactile Display for Visually Impaired Computer Users

SBIR 第二阶段：为视障计算机用户提供动态触觉显示器

• 批准号: 0522076
• 负责人: Philip Schaefer
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Vortant Technologies
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0522076&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Dynamic; Tactile

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will create a Dynamic Tactile Display (DTD) prototype with the look, feel, and functionality of the real-world product, and it will demonstrate that the DTD makes it easier to learn and use computers than existing screen reader technology. An in-home trial study will allow a group of users to have the DTD over an extended period of time in their homes, to establish whether or not they continue to like to use it over time. Technical development during Phase II will produce a powerful interface tool that translates computer display information into an intuitive, tactile format, and allows much greater accessibility of computer tools to the blind and visually impaired user. Modern computer software and web pages are highly visually oriented. However, there are millions of blind or severely visually impaired individuals whose visual disability prevents them from seeing the standard computer screen. User frustration with existing computer access solutions is high, and the number of visually disabled people currently using computers is very low--much lower than the rate in the general population. This low rate of computer use indicates a serious need for better computer access technology for this disabled population.The DTD is primarily being developed as a new, more effective interface for visually impaired users to use windows-based software and experience the Internet. Providing such a tool is increasingly important as computers become more pervasive in everyday professional, educational, and social life. The DTD will thus serve as a means to improve the inclusion of the blind and visually impaired in the mainstream of society by allow these users greater access to computers, access which is closer to that enjoyed by the sighted population. Providing a new human/computer interface modality, the DTD proffers an environment in which to understand more about the design and use of tactile interfaces. It may serve as a useful platform for optimization of the tactile display paradigm for human/machine or human/human interactions through touch.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将创建一个动态触觉显示（DTD）原型，具有真实产品的外观，感觉和功能，它将证明DTD比现有的屏幕阅读器技术更容易学习和使用计算机。 一项家庭试验研究将允许一组用户在家中长时间使用DTD，以确定他们是否会随着时间的推移继续使用它。 第二阶段的技术发展将产生一个强大的界面工具，将计算机显示信息转换为直观的触觉格式，并使盲人和视力受损的用户更容易使用计算机工具。 现代计算机软件和网页是高度视觉导向的。 然而，有数百万盲人或严重视力受损的人，他们的视力残疾使他们无法看到标准的计算机屏幕。 用户对现有的计算机访问解决方案感到沮丧，目前使用计算机的视力残疾人人数非常少----比一般人口的比率低得多。计算机使用率如此之低表明，这一残疾人口迫切需要更好的计算机接入技术，目前正在开发的DTD主要是作为一种新的、更有效的界面，供视障用户使用基于Windows的软件和体验互联网。 随着计算机在日常专业、教育和社会生活中变得越来越普遍，提供这样一种工具变得越来越重要。 因此，数字技术发展计划将作为一种手段，通过允许盲人和视力受损者更多地使用计算机，使他们更接近于视力正常的人口所享有的机会，从而使盲人和视力受损者更好地融入社会主流。 DTD提供了一种新的人机界面模式，提供了一个环境，在其中了解更多关于触觉界面的设计和使用。 它可以作为一个有用的平台，用于优化触觉显示范例，通过触摸的人/机或人/人的互动。