I-Corps: Multimodal Image Perception System

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to allow individuals who are blind and visually impaired (BVI) to perceive images better than they currently can. Current technologies are insufficient since they only provide very little data to the user through tactile methods. Through the Multimodal image perception system (MIPS), students who are BVI will be able to perceive images through alternate sensory channels such as haptic, sound and tactile feedback. This would enable them to be active participants in exploration of STEM subjects such as biology or chemistry which rely heavily on understanding images. The use of this system would also allow individuals with BVI to overcome the stigma and fear of pursuing STEM majors as college students. Moreover, according to surveys by the Department of Education individuals with STEM majors often had higher paying jobs as compared to non-STEM majors. The use of the MIPS may promote their participation in STEM fields, which would allow individuals with BVI to pursue higher paying careers and promote diversification of the workforce by making individuals with BVI more economically competitive.This I-Corps project will contribute to addressing the improvement in the education for individuals who are blind and visually impaired (BVI). Experiments have been conducted with individuals with BVI to compare their understanding of images with the multimodal image perception system (MIPS), and with conventional systems such as tactile images. Through these experiments, it has been identified that the individuals who are blind have a better accuracy and understanding of images using the MIPS as compared to using the tactile images. Through the I-Corps program, the team will further investigate the most critical needs of the end users and determine the most optimal path towards commercializing the technology to allow it to be used by educators around the country to improve their students' understanding of STEM fields.