A Smart Telescope for Low Vision

描述（由申请人提供）：这是一项构建和测试“智能望远镜”的提案，这是一种用于低视力人群的设备，使用计算机视觉算法搜索，检测和增强文本和面部等目标，以帮助日常任务，如旅行，导航和社交互动。实用的、可接受的包装将包括一个微型摄像机和视觉显示器，它们被谨慎地安装在眼镜或帽子上，还有一个紧凑的计算设备和一套可以放进口袋里的控制装置。智能望远镜通过自动搜索，检测和增强目标物体，即使它们只占设备视野的一小部分，而无需用户像光学望远镜那样直接或准确地将设备指向目标，从而推进了当今低视力辅助设备的最新技术水平。智能望远镜体积小，重量轻，但足够大，老年人处理和控制;操作简单，易于携带，存储，充电，戴上和删除。高级选项在日常使用中被隐藏，但在必要时易于访问。在第一阶段，我们开发并评估了一个工作原型，并收到了目标人群中受试者的热情反馈。在第二阶段，我们建议原型的商业可行的消费者版本的智能望远镜。第二阶段工作计划有四个轨道：1）用户交互和界面设计，2）物理设计和配置，3）软件设计和开发，以及4）硬件设计和开发。史密斯-凯特尔韦尔康复工程研究中心（RERC）将为该项目的人为因素部分提供专业知识。Blindsight将在博尔顿工程公司的帮助下，用现成的组件设计和制造设备硬件。低视力专家唐弗莱彻博士，梅丽莎春和伊恩贝利将与RERC合作，以保证一个实用的产品为目标受众。总体目标是为视力下降、对比敏感度下降或由黄斑变性、糖尿病性视网膜病变、青光眼、白内障和其他眼部问题引起的其他视觉功能丧失的人创建所提出设备的商业版本，增加视力在约20/200和20/600之间的人的活动性和独立性。在低于1，000美元的情况下，这种设备的总市场估计高达300，000，即，在美国有10%的低视力者。智能望远镜的商业版本将大大提高视力在20/200和20/600之间的人的移动性和独立性，帮助他们完成日常任务，如旅行，导航和社交互动。它将通过改进和超越传统光学望远镜的能力来推进当今低视力辅助设备的最新技术水平，极大地造福于视力下降、对比敏感度下降或由黄斑变性、糖尿病视网膜病变、青光眼、白内障和其他眼部问题引起的其他视觉功能丧失的人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a proposal to build and test a "Smart Telescope," a device for persons with low vision that uses computer vision algorithms to search for, detect and enhance targets such as text and faces to aid in everyday tasks such as travel, navigation and social interactions. The practical, cosmetically acceptable packaging will consist of a miniature camera and visual display discreetly mounted on spectacles or a hat, and a compact computing device and set of controls that fit into a pocket. The Smart Telescope advances today's state of the art in assistive devices for low vision by automatically searching for, detecting and enhancing target objects even when they fill only a small portion of the device's field of view, without the user having to point the device directly or accurately at the target as with optical telescopes. The Smart Telescope is small and lightweight, but large enough for the elderly to handle and control; simple to operate and easy to carry, store, recharge, don and remove. Advanced options are hidden during day-to-day use, but easy to access when necessary. In Phase I, we developed and evaluated a working prototype and received enthusiastic feedback from subjects in our target population. In Phase II we propose to prototype a commercially viable consumer version of the Smart Telescope. The Phase II work plan has four tracks: 1) User interaction and interface design, 2) physical design and configuration, 3) software design and development, and 4) hardware design and development. Smith-Kettlewell's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) will provide expertise for the human factors portions of the project. Blindsight will design and build the device hardware from off-the-shelf components with the help of Bolton Engineering. Low vision experts Drs. Don Fletcher, Melissa Chun and Ian Bailey will work with the RERC to guarantee a practical product for the target audience. The overall aim is to create a commercial version of the proposed device for persons with reduced visual acuity, reduced contrast sensitivity, or other loss of visual function caused by macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems, increasing mobility and independence for those with acuity between approximately 20/200 and 20/600. At under $1,000, the total market for such a device is estimated at up to 300,000, i.e., 10% of low vision persons in the United States. The commercial version of the Smart Telescope will significantly increase mobility and independence for persons with visual acuity between approximately 20/200 and 20/600, aiding them in everyday tasks such as travel, navigation, and social interactions. It will advance today's state of the art in assistive devices for low vision by improving on and surpassing the capabilities of the traditional optical telescope, greatly benefiting persons with reduced visual acuity, reduced contrast sensitivity, or other loss of visual function caused by macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye problems.