ERI: Representation of Braille Characters and Graphical Patterns using Dynamic Tactile Displays

盲文显示器是市售的辅助设备，帮助盲人/视障人士（VI）获取数字信息。然而，盲文显示器非常昂贵，而且通常被设计为只显示文本。盲文显示器成本高的主要原因是用于提供触觉反馈的大量盲文细胞。这项研究旨在确定如何在与智能手机集成的同一平台上有效地呈现盲文和图形，使用小网格的触觉针，以大大降低成本。将开发一种移动触觉显示器，将在移动屏幕上触摸的图像转换为呈现在用户指尖上的触觉图像。这将帮助盲人/VI用户感受到图表和地图方向的趋势，从而获得目前需要在压花纸上打印的重要信息。在移动设备的显示器上同时显示盲文和图形，可以帮助视障人士像正常人一样有效地使用触摸屏，即使在音频反馈不太可靠的嘈杂环境中也是如此。该项目还将通过图表和趋势展示的触觉信息吸引年轻的六代，帮助他们认识到盲文比音频表现的重要性，从而解决盲文识字危机。从本研究中获得的理解将有助于智能手机上可穿戴触觉显示和触觉纹理表示的未来发展。移动触觉显示器将在VI和视力用户身上进行测试，以研究他们对系统的适应性。该项目还将为工程专业的本科生和研究生提供参与辅助设备完整开发周期的机会，并与VI人员密切合作。这个项目的总体目标是在同一个平台上集成盲文和图形，使用一个小的动态触觉网格。当盲文或图形模式以个性化的方式呈现时（根据用户偏好的振动、滑动速度等进行校准），该项目将表征用户对动态触觉系统的可接受性。最初的6x6可刷新触觉网格已经开发出来，其针间距符合盲文标准，分辨率能够显示直线和曲线（或简单的图形）。这个初始原型将用于系统研究VI如何读取盲文和呈现给静止或半静止手指的图形。触觉模式将以不同的方式呈现-顺序运动，列方向，以及同时在触觉显示器上。盲文和图形图案也将使用固定和振动的别针来呈现，有或没有滑动运动。将对手指在纸上自由探索与在触觉显示器上自由探索进行比较研究，以了解系统的局限性和可能的改进。每个演示方法的有效性将根据用户的反应，反应速度，理解和喜爱程度来评估。该项目的第二个目标是产生关于视力正常的用户如何与被动触觉显示器交互以及他们对此类系统的适应性的知识。将开发一种移动触觉显示器，其软件可以将触摸屏图像转换为低分辨率的简单图形，并不断将图形传输到触觉显示器。该系统的有效性将在20名VI受试者和一些视力正常的用户身上进行评估，以评估他们的易用性，以及阅读和理解盲文和移动图形的能力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Braille displays are commercially available assistive devices that help the blind/visually impaired (VI) access digital information. However, braille displays are very expensive and are generally designed to display text only. The main reason for the high cost of the braille displays is the large number of braille cells used to provide tactile feedback. This research aims to identify how braille text and graphics can be effectively presented on the same platform integrated with a smartphone, using a small grid of tactile pins, at a much-reduced cost. A mobile tactile display will be developed that converts the images touched on the mobile screen to tactile images presented onto the fingertips of the user. This will help the blind/VI user feel the trends in charts and map directions providing access to vital information which currently needs to be printed out on embossed papers. Representing both braille and graphics on a display attached to a mobile device will help people with visual impairment explore a touchscreen as effectively as their sighted counterparts even in noisy environments where audio feedback is less reliable. This project will also address the braille literacy crisis by engaging the younger VI generation with tactile information presented through charts and trends and helping them realize the significance of braille over audio representations alone. The understanding gained from this research will enable the future development of wearable tactile displays and tactile texture representation on smartphones. The mobile tactile display will be tested on both VI and sighted users to study their adaptability towards the system. This project will also provide undergraduate and graduate engineering students an opportunity to participate in the complete development cycle of an assistive device, working in close collaboration with the VI individuals.The overall goal of this project is to integrate braille and graphics on the same platform, using a small dynamic tactile grid. This project will characterize user acceptability of a dynamic tactile system when the braille or graphical patterns are presented in a personalized manner (calibrated for user preferred vibration, slip-speed, etc.). An initial 6x6 refreshable tactile grid has been developed, with pin spacing adhering to braille standards and resolution capable of presenting straight lines and curves (or simple graphics). This initial prototype will be utilized to perform systematic studies on how VI read braille and graphics presented to stationary or semi-stationary fingers. The tactile patterns will be presented using different methods - sequential movements, column-wise, as well as simultaneously on the tactile display. The braille and graphics patterns will also be presented using stationary and vibrating pins, with and without sliding motion. A comparative study, between the finger movement while exploring freely on paper versus on the tactile display, will be performed to understand system limitations and possible enhancements. The effectiveness of each presentation method will be evaluated based on user response, response speed, comprehension, and likeability. The secondary goal of this project is the knowledge generation on how sighted users interact with passive tactile displays and their adaptability towards such systems. A mobile tactile display will be developed with software that converts touchscreen images into low-resolution simple graphics that continuously transfer graphics to tactile display. The efficacy of this system will be evaluated on 20 VI subjects, plus a few sighted users, to assess their ease of use, and ability to read and comprehend both braille text and mobile graphics.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.