AccessScope project: Independent microscope operation for students with mobility and visual impairments

AccessScope 项目：为行动不便和视力障碍的学生提供独立的显微镜操作

• 批准号: 0533124
• 负责人: Bradley Duerstock
• 金额: $ 29.95万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 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: 2005-10-01 至 2009-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0533124&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: AccessScope; project; Independent; microscope; operation

PROJECT SUMMARYIn this project an automated microscope workstation will be specifically designed forstudents with mobility and visual impairments to independently operate all features of lightmicroscopy. In a previous project an accessible microscopy workstation, called AccessScope,was developed to allow persons with mobility impairments to control a research light microscopewithout assistance through a personal computer, including loading slides. The PC became theuser interface for controlling the microscope hardware and for displaying slide images in a livepreview window via a video camera. Thus, the PC replaced the need to physically operate themicroscopy workstation and view through microscope eyepieces. The AccessScope projectdemonstrated that independent control of microscopy was possible and useful for students withdisabilities to actively participate in this laboratory technique.Intellectual MeritTechnical advancements can provide AccessScope with even greater functionality andthe capability to be independently operated by students with visual impairments. A standalonesoftware application to control AccessScope and view slides will be developed in this proposedproject. This new software application will provide features that other commercial applications,including the one used in the previous AccessScope project, do not offer. Better stage movement,theta rotation of slide images in real-time, and remote control of the AccessScope workstationthrough the internet will be available. Disabled students using a PC will be able to remotelycontrol a publicly shared research-level light microscope from virtually anywhere. The graphicaluser interface of the AccessScope application will be designed to accommodate users with lowvision and upper limb motor impairments. Design features of the user interface will include userdefinable shortcut keys, intuitive graphical buttons and analog controls, color filtering, and theability to alter the user interface's color, size, and contrast. The AccessScope application will becompliant with different assistive technology input devices for users with mobility impairmentsand screen enlargers, magnifiers, and readers for users with visual impairments. TheAccessScope application will be simple enough in design to be used by secondary andpostsecondary students with disabilities yet powerful enough to be valuable for scientists.Broad ImpactThe goal of the AccessScope project is to allow students with mobility impairments orlow vision to independently use a light microscope and be able to actively participate in the samelearning experiences as their able-bodied peers. Microscopy is an essential tool in many STEMfields. Not only does microscopy allow disabled students to participate in laboratory courses, butthe hands-on experience provides a greater understanding of the character of tissue specimens,how histology slides are created, and the physics of microscope optics including its limitations.Activity-based learning is critical for pursuing an undergraduate science education, graduatelevel research, and many careers in science and engineering.The AccessScope software program will allow students with disabilities to have completecontrol of commercially available microscope equipment. This program will be freely distributedto students and teachers in secondary and postsecondary institutions, thus decreasing the expenseof developing an AccessScope workstation. In addition, a demonstration version of theapplication will also be available to allow users to evaluate AccessScope without commitment.

在这个项目中，将专门为行动不便和视力障碍的学生设计一个自动化显微镜工作站，让他们独立操作光学显微镜的所有功能。在之前的一个项目中，开发了一个名为AccessScope的无障碍显微镜工作站，使行动不便的人能够在没有个人电脑帮助的情况下控制研究光学显微镜，包括加载载玻片。PC成为了控制显微镜硬件和通过摄像机在实时预览窗口中显示幻灯片图像的用户界面。因此，PC取代了物理操作显微镜工作站和通过显微镜目镜观察的需要。AccessScope项目证明了独立控制显微镜是可能的，并且对于残疾学生积极参与这项实验室技术是有用的。技术进步可以为AccessScope提供更强大的功能和能力，使视力受损的学生能够独立操作。一个独立的软件应用程序来控制AccessScope和查看幻灯片将在这个拟议的项目中开发。这个新的软件应用程序将提供其他商业应用程序（包括以前的AccessScope项目中使用的应用程序）所不提供的特性。更好的舞台运动，实时幻灯片图像的旋转，以及通过互联网远程控制AccessScope工作站将成为可能。残疾学生使用个人电脑将能够从几乎任何地方远程控制一个公开共享的研究级光学显微镜。AccessScope应用程序的图形用户界面将被设计为适应低视力和上肢运动障碍的用户。用户界面的设计特征将包括用户可定义的快捷键，直观的图形按钮和模拟控制，颜色过滤，以及改变用户界面的颜色，大小和对比度的能力。AccessScope应用程序将兼容不同的辅助技术输入设备，为行动不便的用户和屏幕放大，放大镜和阅读器为视力障碍的用户。accessscope应用程序的设计将足够简单，可以供有残疾的中学生和大学生使用，但功能却足够强大，对科学家来说很有价值。广泛影响AccessScope项目的目标是让有行动障碍或视力低下的学生能够独立使用光学显微镜，并能够像他们健全的同龄人一样积极参与同样的学习体验。显微镜是许多stem领域的重要工具。显微镜不仅允许残疾学生参与实验课程，而且实践经验提供了对组织标本特征的更好理解，组织学玻片是如何创建的，以及显微镜光学的物理及其局限性。以活动为基础的学习对于追求本科科学教育、研究生水平的研究以及许多科学和工程职业至关重要。AccessScope软件程序将允许残疾学生完全控制市售显微镜设备。该程序将免费分发给中学和大专院校的学生和教师，从而减少开发AccessScope工作站的费用。此外，应用程序的演示版本也将允许用户在没有承诺的情况下评估AccessScope。