Development of Electronic Aids for the Visually Impaired: Proceedings of a workshop on the Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired, held at the Institute for Research on Electromagnetic Waves of the National Research Council, Florence, Italy. Sponsored by

309 Pages·1986·12.28 MB·English

by  P. L. Emiliani (auth.), P. L. Emiliani (eds.)

Development of Electronic Aids for the
Visually Impaired
Documenta Ophthalmologica Proceedings Series
[6. H.-J. Merte, ed.,
Genesis of G[aucoma. [978. [SBN 90-6[93-[56-8
[7. A.F. Deutman, ed.,
Neurogeneties and Neuro-Ophtha[mo[ogy. [977. ISBN 90-6[93-[59-2
[8. O. Hockwin and W.B. Rathbun, eds.,
Progress in Anterior Eye Segment Research and Practice. [979. ISBN 90-6[93-[58-4
[9. E.L. Greve, ed.,
The Third Internationa[ Visual Field Symposium, Tokyo [978. 1979. ISBN 90-6[93-[60-6
20. J. Francois, S.1. Brown and M. Itoi, eds.,
Proceedings of the Symposium of the Internationa[ Society for Corneal Research. [979. ISBN 90-6[93-157-6
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Glaucoma Symposium Amsterdam. Diagnosis and Therapy. 1980. ISBN 90-6193-164-9
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Visual Electrodiagnosis in Systematic Diseases. Proceedings of the [7th I.S.C.E.V. Symposium, Erfurt June 5-10,
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Symposium on Uveal Melanomas. 1980. ISBN 90-6193-722-1
25. H. Zauberman, ed.,
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26. E.L. Greve and G. Verriest, eds.,
Fourth International Visual Field Symposium, Bristol April 13-16, 1980. 1981. ISBN 90-6193-165-7
27. H. Spekreijse and P.A. Apkarian, eds.,
Visual Pathways. Electrophysiology and Pathology. 18th I.S.C.E.V. Symposium, Amsterdam May 18-22, 1980.
1981. ISBN 9O-6193-723-X
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30. L. Maffei, ed.,
Pathophysiology of the Visual System, Pisa Italy, December 12-15, 1980. 1981. ISBN 90-6193-726-4
31. G. Niemeyer and C. Huber, eds.,
Techniques in Clinieal Electrophysiology of Vision. Proceedings of the 19th I.S.C.E.V. Symposium, Horgen
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32. A.Th.M. van Balen and W.A. Houtman, eds.,
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33. G. Verriest, ed.,
Colour Vision Deficiencies VI. [982. ISBN 90-6193-729-9
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35. E.L. Greve and A. Heyl, eds.,
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36. R. Birngruber and V.-P. Gabel, eds.,
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42. A. Heyl and E.L. Greve, eds.,
Sixth International Visual Field Symposium. 1985. ISBN 90-6[93-524-5
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44. P .C. Maudgal and L. Missotten, eds.,
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45. B. Jay, ed.,
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46. G. Verriest, ed.,
Colour Vision Deficiencies VIII. 1986. ISBN 0-89838-801-5
47. P.L. Emiliani, ed.,
Development of Electronic Aids for the Visually Impaired. 1986. ISBN 0-89838-805-8
Development of Electronic Aids for the
Visually Impaired
Proceedings of a workshop on the Rehabilitation of
the Visually Impaired, held at the Institute for
Research on Electromagnetic Waves of the National
Research Council, Florence, Italy. Sponsored by the
Commission of the European Communities as
advised by the Committee on Medical and Public
Health Research
Edited by P.L. Emiliani
Istituto di Ricerca sulle Onde
Ellettromagnetiche del Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche,
Florence, Italy
1986 MARTINUS NIJHOFF IDR W. JUNK PUBLISHERS ~.
a member of the Kt,UWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP ,_
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for the COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-8402-4 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-009-4281-3
1)01: IO.I007f978-94-009-4281-3
EUR 10103 EN
Book information
Publication arranged by: Commission of the ·European Communities, Direc
torate-General Information Market and Innovation, Luxembourg
Copyright/legal notice
© 1986 by ECSC. EEC. EAEC. Brussels-Luxembourg.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1986
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
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photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the
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The Netherlands.
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting on
behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the
following information.
v
FOREWORD
This book is based on the papers presented at the Workshop
on "Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired" held in Flo
rence at the Institute for the Research on Electromagnetic
Waves of the Italian Research Council on April 4-6, 1984.
The Workshop, sponsored by the Committee for Medical and
Public Health Research of the Commission of the European
Communities, was meant to exchange ideas about the need,
importance and feasibility of a European cooperation in
the field of visual impairment and to identify promising
research areas, where current national activities could
take advantage of such a collaboration in order to increase
their efficiency. In particular, it dealt with the develop
ment and use of technical aids (mainly based on computers
and signal processing techniques) and with the elaboration,
evaluation and standardization of new methods and tests.
The attendance was multidisciplinary, including researchers
from the fields of technology, medicine and psychology and
representatives from organizations involved in the rehabi
litation of the visually impaired. Five technical sessions
were organized, dealing with the following topics: automatic
production of Braille and systems for paperless Braille,
aids for reading and for the interaction with coded informa
tion sources, low vision aids, transduction of visual infor
mation into a tactile representation, mobility aids.
Three different application sectors were mainly considered:
education and culture, vocational training, mobility.
A final session was devoted to a discussion in working groups.
The results are briefly outlined in the following concise
report of the Workshop.
Thanks to the wide attendance and to the high level and en
thusiasm of the participants, the book gives up-to-date
information about the state of the art of the activity and
about the trends in this sector in the European countries.
I should like to express my thanks to all the participants,
who willingly cooperated to set up the Workshop in a very
short time and coordinated their presentations in order to
VI
have a balanced program. In particular, I should like to
express my gratitude to Dr. D.H.A. Aberson (Eindhoven),
Prof. G. Bruun (Lingby), Dr. D.J. Powell (London), Dr. A.
Sargentini Daniele (Roma), Dr. M. Truquet (Toulouse),
members of the Planning Group, who helped in the prepara
tion of the proposal of the Workshop, to Dr. W. Skupinski
of the EEC Commission, who continuously supported the orga
nization, to Dr. G.R. Bock, Project Leader of the Hearing
Impairment Program, who gave us important information about
his program, to Dr. M. Stilmant of the Bureau for Action
of Disabled People, to Prof. V. Cappellini, Director of IROE,
who allowed us to use the facilities of the Institute and
supported the organization of the meeting, to my colleagues
Dr. P. Graziani and Dr. A. Tronconi, who joined in the local
organizing committee, to Dr. I. Campo, who helped in the
setting up of the program, to Mr. A. Gabbanini, Mr. F. Meiners,
Mr. F. Poli, Mr. M. Tesi, Mr. L. Zuccagnoli, from the techni
cal staff of the Institute, who helped in the different phases
of the organization, and to Mrs. V. Cammelli who made really
possible to set up the Workshop with her secretarial activity.
Pier Luigi Emiliani
Firenze, April 1985
vo
WELCOME TO THE PARTICIPANTS
I am very glad to open the works of this Workshop of
European Communities on "Rehabilitation of Visually
Impaired", giving my best welcome to all the Participants
from different European Nations.
The program of the Workshop is very intense and interesting,
covering the most important areas of Rehabilitation of
Visually Impaired with significant contributions in the
following areas: Braille production, Aids for reading and
for the interaction with coded information sources, Low
Vision, Transduction of visual information and displays for
the blind, Mobility.
We are very happy to have this important Workshop at our
Institute, which is strongly involved in the field, both
at national level in the Finalized Project "Biomedical
Technologies", chaired by Prof. L. Donato, and at the Euro
pean level.
I am sure that your works will give a significant contribu
tion to the covered field in Europe, contributing to obtain
an higher level of cooperation and interaction in this
research area of Commission of the European Communities.
Thanking Dr. P.L. Emiliani and his cooperators for the very
active organization of this Workshop, I wish to all of you
the best success for your works and the most enjoying visit
to Florence.
Vito Cappellini
IX
CONTENTS
v
Foreword by P.L. Emiliani
Welcome to Participants by V. Cappellini, Director of I.R.O.E. VII
XIII
List of Participants
Concise Report of the Workshop
Session 1: BRAILLE PRODUCTION 9
Chairman: M. Truquet
Automatic Production of Braille
11
M. Truquet
Progress in Automatic Production of Braille
H. Werner 21
Automatic Production of Braille - A Danish Experience
31
P. Thomsen
Innovation, Braille Information and Workplace Design
37
M. Soede
Necessary Priority Areas in the Development of Technical
Aids for the Blind in the Federal Republic of Germany
45
M. Harres
Discussion 47
The Elekul Braille System
G. Franyois 57
Written Communication Aids Between Sighted and
Non Sighted Persons
65
J.P. Dubus, A. Mandar, M. Mortreux, F. Wattrelot
x
Session 2: AIDS FOR READING AND FOR THE INTERACTION
WITH CODED INFORMATION SOURCES 73
ChaiY'l7/an: H. Wemer
"Ordibraille": A Braille Text Processing System
J.M. Lagarde, P. Lirou 75
Aids for Reading and for the Interaction with
Coded Information Sources
H. Doove 83
Applications of a Multi-Lingual Text-To-Speech System
R. Carlson, B. Granstrom 87
Multifont Textreading Machine for the Blind
J.A. Si1rensen 97
Project for an Optical Character Recognizer for the Blind
A. Da Ronch, R. Spinabelli, A. Braggiotti 107
A Low Cost. Portable. Optical Character Reader for Blind
J. Conter, S. Alet, P. Puech, A. Bruel 117
Communication Aids
P.L. Emiliani 127
Design and Evaluation of Aids for Interaction with a
Computer Based Information Service
R.W. King 137
Discussion 148
Session 3: LOW-VISION (Clinical. Social. Psychological and
Technological Aspects) 167
ChaiY'l7/an: D.H.A. Aberson
Organization of the Distribution of Low-Vision Aids
M. Warburg 169
Xl
Reading by the Elderly (Reading by Subjects with Normal
and Low Vision)
D.H.A. Aberson 179
Assessment of the Needs of Low-Vision Patients
J.H. Silver 191
Low Vision Aids and Some Perceptual Aspects of Reading
by the Partially Sighted
M.J. Tobin 197
Visual Impairment in Greece: Health Service Organization
J. Levett, J. Yfantopoulos, J. Tsamparlakis 201
Necessity of an Interface Between Research Output
and Social Needs
M.l. Campo, A. Testa 213
Discussion 223
Session 4: TRANSDUCTION OF VISUAL INFORMATION AND DISPLAYS
FOR THE BLIND 233
Chairman: D.J. Powell
Transitory Graphical Displays for the Blind
235
J.M. Gill
The Computer as a Graphical Communication Tool for the Blind
239
P. Graziani
Image Processing Techniques: Some Possible Applications
to the Transduction of Visual Information to Other
Modalities
245
D.J. Powell
Design of Sensory Substitution Systems for the Blind
248
C. Veraart, G.A. Orban, M.C. Wanet, I. Richard
Discussion 257