HCC: Interactive and Enriched Haptic Graphical Representations for People who are Blind and Visually Impaired

图形表示通常是高度交互界面的组成部分，可以增强人的洞察力和创造力。然而，这种界面的好处在很大程度上被剥夺了，对于盲人或视力受损的人来说，他们因此在一生的学习中处于非常不利的地位。对于年幼的孩子来说，书中的图形表示对于发展词汇通常是至关重要的，因为许多物体不容易获得或不安全的物理处理。之后，检查和解释图形信息，如实验时间序列数据、数学波形和地理图表，对于获得这些领域的洞察力和创造力的标志至关重要。目前，最常用的表示二维图形信息的方法是通过静态的凸起线绘制，以使盲人或视障人士能够访问这些信息，但这种方法在上述无约束任务中传递信息的能力非常差。在这个项目中，PI采用了一种新颖的基于触觉的替代方法来解决开发更合适的交互方法和适当的表示的挑战，以增强对不熟悉信息（无论是模式，项目组还是单个项目）的理解，并提高用户发现或提出解释的能力。她将开发高度互动的图形技术，允许用户在检查过程中主动和单独地控制图形的放大和简化。这将允许用户根据需要在触觉处理的两个主要限制之间进行定制和变化：需要串行整合信息，以及较差的触觉空间分辨率。丰富的表示将使用纹理或振动作为一种编码方式，将图形分离为对象和对象部分，并描述部分的3D方向，这是解释中最困难的两个方面。该项目将根据目标用户社区成员的输入和反馈进行，并进行实验验证。更广泛的影响：这项研究将有助于将人类触觉处理的知识从理论转移到实践。由于重点是开发更高层次思维技能的支持技术，该项目将为盲人或视障人士（最终是所有用户）提供新工具，为社会做出更重大的贡献。因此，这项工作将特别有助于防止目标社区的个人随着信息技术的进步而进一步落后，并使他们能够享有更好的收入和生活质量。

Graphical representations often comprise an integral part of highly interactive interfaces to enhance human insight and creativity. The benefits of such interfaces are for the most part denied, however, to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, who are as a consequence are placed at a significant disadvantage with respect to learning throughout their lives. For young children, graphical representations in books are often critical for developing a vocabulary, as many objects cannot easily be obtained or safely handled physically. Later on, examination and interpretation of graphical information such as experimental time series data, mathematical waveforms and geographical diagrams are crucial for obtaining insight in these areas and a sign of creativity. Currently, the most frequent method of representing 2D graphical information so as to make it accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired is through static raised-line drawings, but this method is very poor at relaying information in unconstrained tasks such as those mentioned above. In this project the PI adopts a novel alternative haptics-based approach to address the challenge of developing more suitable interactive methods and appropriate representations that enhance understanding of unfamiliar information (whether patterns, groups of items, or individual items) and improve the user's ability to make discoveries or propose explanations. She will develop highly interactive graphics technology that allows the user to actively and separately control both the magnification and simplification of a graphic during its examination. This will allow the user to customize and vary as needed the trade-off between the two main limitations of haptic processing: the need to serially integrate information, and poor tactile spatial resolution. The enriched representations will use texture or vibration as a way to encode the separation of a graphic into objects and object parts, and to describe the 3D orientation of parts, which are two of the most difficult aspects of interpretation. The project will be conducted with input and feedback from members of the target user community, and validated experimentally.Broader Impacts: This research will help move knowledge about human haptic processing from theory to practice. As the focus is on developing enabling technologies for higher level thinking skills, the project will empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired (and ultimately all users) with new tools to make more significant contributions to society. Thus, the work will in particular contribute to the effort of preventing individuals from the target community being left further behind as information technology advances forward, and will enable them to enjoy a better income and quality of life.