Multimedia terminal system for the blind using three-dimensional sound and tactile display

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The project aims to develop a multimedia terminal system for the blind. In general, blind persons use a tactile image like a plastic sheet or an embossed image to recognize image information. In addition, there are tactile display systems like a mass of Braille display using pin-matrixes. The tactile display system can change the display image immediately. Our multimedia system is composed of the tactile display system, a computer, and a stylus pen that connected the tactile display with beams. Using the stylus, the blind person can input position information to the tactile surface directly. That is the main feature of the system. The blind user can point arbitrary positions over the tactile image, so that the system can feedback to the user a kind of tactile or acoustic actions like vibrating pins, changing the image, playing a sound, and so on. We made a drawing software, ping-pong game, and learning a kanji software. With drawing software, the blind can make a line drawing with stylus on the tactile display and he can erase it. With ping-pong game, he finds a moving ball expressed by pins and strikes against using racket controlled by the stylus. With kanji software, he can learn the means and pronunciations of parts in a kanji character. When he pointed a part of a kanji, the part blinks. And the pronunciation information is given by pressing a button. The blind persons in some visually impaired school estimated the system. They comment that the game is very enjoyable and the learning system is necessary. Especially the teachers were interested in the kanji learning software. On the other hand, they required highly resolution for the tactile display.