SBIR Phase I: Ushering in a New Paradigm of Real-Time Tactile Graphics for Visually Impaired Students

SBIR 第一阶段：为视障学生引入实时触觉图形的新范式

• 批准号: 1549009
• 负责人: Corrine Mueller
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: JLG Innovations Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1549009&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Ushering; New; Paradigm

This SBIR Phase I project aims to create a new form of tactile (touch) graphics for blind and visually impaired (BVI) students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. To illustrate, consider learning in a traditional mathematics classroom without being able to see the graphics presented on the board. This is the challenge that BVI students face on a daily basis in STEM classrooms, and the current technologies available require intensive manual preparation, cannot be presented in real-time causing a delay in student learning, and are expensive. This project addresses these challenges by developing software that translates visual images into images that can be felt (through vibrations) and heard (through sound) on commercially available touchscreens. This work, rooted in understanding how people see through touch toward bettering the STEM learning experience, directly relates to NSF's mission. This project will push U.S. classrooms into new heights of learning and inclusion that will create opportunities for students of all learning styles to access, participate, and succeed in STEM classrooms and professions. This will have an economic impact through the creation of a competent, diverse U.S. STEM workforce and will position the U.S. as a clear leader in inclusive, accessible educational experiences.The innovation in this work is in conveying visual graphics via vibrations and sounds on touchscreens, such that an end user could interpret information from the image without needing to see it. Toward meeting this grand challenge, this project addresses a fundamental barrier to touchscreen-based tactile graphics identifying and following lines. Lines or combinations of lines form the basis for most graphic representations. Because touchscreens are flat, however, there are no physical edges or depth changes that can be used to represent lines, making line following on these surfaces (and subsequently interpretation of graphical information) incredibly challenging. Upon completion of this Phase I project, this work will have (1) demonstrated the feasibility of the algorithms and nonvisual representations needed to promote more efficient line following via vibrations and sounds on touchscreens and (2) demonstrated pilot software in three classroom settings with BVI students and their teachers to understand how the software could be integrated into traditional educational settings. This project will contribute to the movement of propelling touchscreens beyond visual input/output devices and will shed new light on how individuals perceive, interpret, and learn through vibrations, while creating a paradigm shift in what is considered today as tactile graphics.

SBIR第一期项目旨在为科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教育中的盲人和视障（BVI）学生创造一种新的触觉（触摸）图形形式。为了说明这一点，考虑一下在一个传统的数学教室里学习，而不能看到黑板上呈现的图形。这是英属维尔京群岛学生每天在STEM课堂上面临的挑战，目前可用的技术需要大量的人工准备，不能实时呈现，导致学生学习延迟，而且价格昂贵。这个项目通过开发软件来解决这些挑战，该软件可以将视觉图像转换为可以在商用触摸屏上感觉到（通过振动）和听到（通过声音）的图像。这项工作植根于了解人们如何通过触摸来改善STEM学习体验，这与NSF的使命直接相关。该项目将把美国课堂推向学习和包容的新高度，为所有学习方式的学生创造机会，让他们在STEM课堂和专业中获得、参与和成功。这将通过创造一支有能力、多样化的美国STEM劳动力队伍产生经济影响，并将美国定位为包容、无障碍教育体验的明确领导者。这项工作的创新之处在于通过触摸屏上的振动和声音来传达视觉图形，这样终端用户就可以在不需要看到图像的情况下从图像中解读信息。为了迎接这个巨大的挑战，这个项目解决了基于触摸屏的触觉图形识别和跟踪线条的基本障碍。线条或线条的组合构成了大多数图形表示的基础。然而，由于触摸屏是平面的，因此没有可以用来表示线条的物理边缘或深度变化，这使得在这些表面上进行线条跟踪（以及随后对图形信息的解释）非常具有挑战性。在第一阶段项目完成后，这项工作将(1)证明算法和非视觉表示的可行性，这些算法和非视觉表示需要通过触摸屏上的振动和声音来促进更有效的走线；(2)在三个教室环境中与英属维尔京群岛的学生和他们的老师一起演示试点软件，以了解如何将软件集成到传统的教育环境中。该项目将推动触摸屏超越视觉输入/输出设备的发展，并将为人们如何通过振动感知、解释和学习提供新的视角，同时在今天被认为是触觉图形的领域创造一个范式转变。