scribIT: a System for Freehand Production, Editing, Communication and Reproductio

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目的最终目标是为盲人和低视力(B/LV)人群销售一种机电和软件系统，使手绘能够创作、交流和复制。在学校、家里和工作场所，几乎每个人都需要能够绘制各种各样的手绘草图、图表、驾驶方向图、平面图、设计图、图表、图表、流程图、手写数学和艺术。B/LV社区目前可以购买凸起线条绘画工具包，类似于铅笔和纸，它确实允许通过在塑料板上用触笔划线来一次性制作触觉绘画。用户无法完成的是擦除和更正；在单页上重复绘制和擦除；复制和复制；以及数字记录、传输和共享凸起线条--对教育工具和主题设置了严格的限制，并极大地缩小了就业机会。拟议的产品线将是E.A.S.Y.LLC(协助和支持您的工程)的首个倡议。它将通过将(1)数字化绘图板；(2)热激活橡皮擦；以及(3)机器人凸起打印机捆绑到一个系统中，解决上述未得到满足的需求。的目标是 拟议的STR第一阶段项目是评估申请者在打印机技术方面的工程概念的可行性。“可行性”是指始终如一地生产有效的提升线，并忠实地复制提升线图纸文件。该项目的工程成果将是优化当前原型性能所必需的改进。具体目的是评估申请者的机械化凸起线条绘制技术的效果，首先通过客观措施(如线条高度、宽度、一致性和重复性；复制品与原件的保真度)，然后通过主观措施(包括盲评价员的评级和识别熟悉形状的机械化印花的能力)。佛蒙特大学的一份分包合同将提供给两名高级工程教员，他们指导了这项工作的学生项目阶段，从而产生了目前的原型。科尔曼博士在机电一体化、设计、计算和机械分析方面拥有专业知识。罗森博士是用户交互产品开发、设计方法和残疾人产品开发方面的专家。该项目的第二阶段续篇将是进一步开发数字化平板电脑和橡皮擦，并与优化的 打印机准备和评估可投入市场的系统。E.A.S.Y.的商业计划呼吁与全国盲人及合作伙伴公司联合会合作开展营销工作，将产品线扩展到用于教育的触觉图形工具，并开发新产品以满足大众市场和残疾用户的需求。该计划的资金将从投资、贷款、与其他公司的合作伙伴关系以及进一步的联邦拨款中寻求。 与公共健康相关：这项研究项目将为盲人带来一种新的徒手素描系统。我们的系统将极大地增加盲人或低视力人士在日常生活、学校和工作中方便、快速和清晰地进行各种触觉图形交流(例如，草图、图形、图表、设计、图表、示意图、流程图和手写数学)的机会。它还将有助于了解视障人士如何创作和解释写意触觉图形，以及如何在教学实践中更好地使用它们。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ultimate goal of this project is to market a electromechanical and software system for Blind and Low Vision (B/LV) individuals that will enable creation, communication and reproduction of freehand drawings. In school, at home and in the workplace, virtually everyone needs to be able to produce a wide variety of freehand sketches, diagrams, driving directions, floor plans, designs, charts, graphs, flowcharts, hand-written mathematics, and art. The B/LV community presently can purchase raised-line drawing kits, akin to pencil and paper, which do allow one-time production of tactile drawings by scribing with a stylus on plastic sheets. What users cannot accomplish is erasing and correction; repeated drawing and erasing on single sheets; copying and reproduction; and digital recording, transmission, and sharing of raised-line drawings - setting severe limits on the tools and topics of education, and dramatically narrowed employment opportunities. The proposed product line will be the inaugural initiative of E.A.S.Y. LLC (Engineering to Assist and Support You). It will address the unmet needs outlined above by bundling (1) a digitizing drawing tablet; (2) a thermally-activated eraser; and, (3) a robotic raised-line printer into one system. The goal of the proposed STTR Phase I project is to assess the feasibility of the applicants' engineering concept for the printer technology. "Feasibility" signifies consistent production of effective raisd lines and faithful reproduction of raised-line drawing files. The engineering outcome of the project will be refinements necessary for optimizing the performance of the current prototype. The specific aims are to evaluate the efficacy of the applicants' mechanized raised-line drawing technology, first by objective measures (such as line height, width, and uniformity and repeatability; and fidelity of reproductions to originals) and then by subjective measures, (including blind evaluators' ratings and ability to recognize mechanized prints of familiar shapes). A subcontract to the University of Vermont will provide access to two senior engineering faculty members who mentored the student project phase of this effort, resulting in the current prototype. Dr. Coleman has expertise in mechatronics, design, computations, and mechanical analysis. Dr. Rosen is an expert in user- interactive product development, design methodology, and development of products for the disabled. The Phase II sequel to this project will be further development of the digitizing tablet and eraser, and integration with the optimized printer to prepare and evaluate a market-ready system. The E.A.S.Y. business plan calls for marketing efforts in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind and partner companies, expansion of the product line into tactile graphics tools for education, and development of new products to meet the needs of mass markets and users with disabilities. Funding for this plan will be sought from a combination of investment, loans, partnerships with other firms, and further federal grants. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research project will lead to a new freehand sketching system for the blind. Our system will greatly increase opportunities for convenient, quick, and clear tactile graphical communication of all kinds (e.g., sketches, figures, diagrams, designs, charts, graphs, schematics, flowcharts, and hand-written math) for blind or low-vision individuals in everyday life, in school and on the job. It will also help to understand how visually impaired people create and interpret freehand tactile graphics and how to better use them in teaching and learning practice.