Assistive Technology Blog

Circus Challenge: Video Games For Stroke Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Image source: Engadget

It is often a challenge to retrain the brain to control a weakened limb after a stroke. It is not an impossible task, but it usually takes months to get success. In order to help speed up this process, and to make it more fun and interesting, Limbs Alive and scientists at Newcastle University have come up with a set of video games called Circus Challenge , thus providing extra in-home therapy.

This set of games has been specifically designed for people with Hemiplegia, however the target audience is anyone who needs to better their

Image source: Limbs Alive

motor skills. These games consist primarily of circus games that require the use of both hands to perform tasks that would let them advance and reach higher levels. The patients use motion sensing controllers (think wii remote) to perform circus activities like throwing pies, teetering, lion taming, juggling, high diving, and trapeze work to name a few. The more they advance in the games, the more challenging the tasks become and require greater coordination and strength.

The game would be available later this year and can be played on PCs, laptops, and tablets using motion sensing controllers (hopefully someone would come up with a Kinect hack too?). To find out when these games would be launched, go to Limbs Alive's Contact Us page and sign up to get latest updates from them.

Watch the video to see what Circus Challenge can do!

Source:Limbs Alive via Engadget, Gizmodo

EyeRing: Wearable Camera That Detects Objects For The Visually Impaired

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Image source: Engadget

Suranga Nanayakkara and Roy Shilkrot, researchers at MIT Media Lab, have developed a new bluetooth camera that can be worn on a finger and used to detect objects. This camera has been designed keeping people with visual impairment in mind, and can perform various tasks (based on the "mode" selected) that will not only help perform everyday tasks but also assist in self learning.

The concept of EyeRing is simple - a camera, connected via bluetooth to a phone or similar device that has voice output, is mounted on the user's finger. The user points the camera at an object and presses the shutter button on the side. The camera takes a picture of the object and sends it to the phone, which detects the object and provides a voice response back to the user.

Picture this: A visually impaired shopper goes to a store. He wears EyeRing on his finger and selects the "distance" mode and points ahead. EyeRing calculates the free space available and speaks out to the shopper. He then starts looking at shirts. He switches to "color" mode and points the camera at the shirts he is looking at. EyeRing detects the color of every shirt and tells the shopper what colors they are. He then switches to "tag" mode, and points EyeRing at the tag of the shirt he selected. EyeRing reads the tag and tells him the price printed on the tag. Finally, to check how much money he has, the shopper pulls out a couple of bills from his wallet and points EyeRing at them. EyeRing reads the denomination on the bills and tells the shopper how much the bills are worth.

Everyday shopping just got so much simpler and easier for visually impaired people!

EyeRing can also be used by little kids who are learning how to read. Instead of someone actually telling them what a word is, they can simply point EyeRing at the word, and using its OCR feature, EyeRing would speak the word back to the kid, thus enabling self learning without anyone else's assistance.

According to the source link, EyeRing is still buggy, but of course, it is still being worked on, and hopefully in the coming days/months/years would be out in the market and make every day life a lot easier for people with visual impairment.

Watch the following videos to see EyeRing in action. The first video shows how a shopper can use it at a store. The second video is of the researchers talking about EyeRing in more detail.

Source: Engadget, EyeRing website

Blind Man Drives Google's Self Driving Car

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:51:00 +0000

"This is some of the best driving I have ever done."

Meet Steve Mahan - A man, having lost 95% of his sight, is way past legal blindness. Recently, he was asked by Google to test drive their self driven car, and the result is just mind blowing.

Watch the video to see Steve Mahan "driving" the self driven car, with Google employees giving him company. "Look ma, no hands" he says, as the Prius, decorated with Google logos, drives off on the streets. The video shows the car carefully and quite accurately maneuvering turns and entering a Taco Bell drive through where Steve orders a burrito. While driving, Steve is seen chatting with his co-passengers (of course with no hands and feet touching any of the controls).

The car is still not perfect, but according to Google, the self driving car project has completed more than 200,000 miles of computer assisted driving since 2010. From what we see in the video, the car is on the right track!

Hit the source links to read more.

Source: Google+ via The Verge

Mobile Accessibility Suite Free On Sprint, Boost and Virgin Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile subscribers in the US, who are blind or have visual impairment, can download a suite of accessibility apps on their Android phones for free that usually costs $99. The suite consists of ten apps that are used by an average users on a daily basis -

Phone - Make/ answer calls; manage call log.
Contacts - Manage contacts (even from Facebook).
Calendar - Manage and view calendar entries.
SMS - Send, receive and manage text messages.
Alarms - Set alarms.
Email - Full access to Gmail account.
Where Am I - Tells current location.
Web - Internet.
Apps - Access all apps on your phone.
Settings

The suite also does the following:

Screen reader
Date/time, battery level, network coverage, missed calls etc.

This suite can be downloaded on any phone that has Android 2.1 and above. To use the screen reader feature of the suite, the phone should have a physical navigation button (like a trackball), and only works on Android 2.2 and above.

Watch the video to see a quick demo of Mobile Accessibility.

Visit the following link to read more about the suite, read the phone providers terms and conditions, and to download the suite on to your phone.

Mobile Accessibility on Google Play

Remember, you can still download this suite for $99 if you are signed up with other phone service providers.

Source: Engadget

Tongue Interface Using Kinect

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:38:00 +0000

Researchers at The University of Electro Communications are busy developing an interface that detects tongue movements and allows users to access items using their tongues. This interface is being designed for people who have difficulty speaking and swallowing (stroke victims, for example).

The interface uses the Kinect and works by first detecting the location of the two eyes. Once it has located the eyes, it estimates the location of the tip of the nose. Once that is done, it estimates the location of the mouth area, and based on that, the actual movement of the tongue is obtained.

This interface could be efficiently used if the user could train their tongue. One way to do so is to move the tongue left and right. The researchers have actually created a game that uses the left to right tongue movement.

The interface is still a work in progress - quite raw and not very robust. The researchers are working on improving the interface's ability to detect tongue movements more precisely. Also, they plan to include detection of lip movements in the future along with tongue movements. However, this is another fine example of what technology and innovation can do to make lives better for everyone.

Watch the video to see this interface (and the game) in action.

Source: DigInfo via Engadget

Bionic Eye Research at Monash University

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:42:00 +0000

Microchip for the bionic eye (source: Monash)

Researchers at Monash University, who have been working on a project to deliver a direct to eye bionic eye implant by 2014, have started testing the microchip that will power the bionic eye. So far, the results have been very good, which means that the project is on the right track.

The bionic eye would mainly consist of three parts - a camera that would be mounted on a pair of glasses (retina), a pocket processor that takes all the information from the camera and converts it into signals that could be understood by the brain, and cortical implants consisting of several tiles which will stimulate the visual cortex (the part of the brain that processes signals from the eyes). Each of these tiles will have tiny microchips which are currently being tested.

The aim of the researchers is to create something that is the equivalent of a seeing-eye dog or a white cane. Initially, the bionic eye would complement them, but eventually will replace them.

Pre clinical assessments for this bionic eye would start soon.

Watch the following video to understand how a bionic eye works. This video is not related to the research being done at Monash, but gives a good overview of what researchers who work on such projects try to achieve.

Source: Monash

Tobii IS 2 - The Next Generation Eye Tracker

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:39:00 +0000

If you are a fan of the Tobii Controller or are interested in knowing more about eye controllers, you should check out the newest eye controller from Tobii - the IS 2. The Tobii IS 2 is 75% smaller than its predecessor IS 1, and consumes 40% less power.

The IS 2 has two infrared projectors that are used to measure the user's pupil size and two cameras to record their positions. The information captured is sent to the IS 2's processors, which in turn sends it to any hardware or program IS 2 is connected to.

Tobii plans to integrate IS 2 with pretty much everything, from medical imaging, medical diagnostics to attention monitoring and training. If you are a developer, you can download the SDK and create apps that can be downloaded by users on the Application Market for Tobii Eye Trackers.

Watch this video to learn more about the Tobii IS 2.

Source: Tobii via Engadget, Mike Paciello

Christopher Hills - Video Editor With Cerebral Palsy

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:54:00 +0000

Meet Christopher Hills - a young boy who uses Apple products to edit videos. Christopher has Cerebral Palsy, which essentially makes it impossible for him to use a traditional computer setup. To operate his computer, he presses a switch on the back of his chair with his head, which in turn is connected to a Discover Switch, a device that gives full keyboard & mouse functionalities to people with severe motor impairment.

Watch the following videos to see Christopher's amazing work. He explains his setup in the first video.

After this video became a huge success on youtube, Christopher decided to produce more videos that would show him interacting with technology to produce videos, do web design, and interact with other people online.

Keep an eye on this remarkable lad's youtube channel (icdhills) to see his work!

Source: The Verge

Audio Notetaker

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 05:53:00 +0000

Sonocent, a UK based assistive technology company, recently released its Mac version of Audio Notetaker - a very simple, intuitive, and easy to use note taking software that can be quite beneficial for people with dyslexia and those who may have problems focussing for a longer period of time (for example, in a classroom).

I downloaded the trial version of the software and found it to be very easy to use. I actually created a small PowerPoint and added audio notes to it within 10 minutes. The software displays very few icons on the top "ribbon". I personally feel that not including too many icons/ options in the menu is a good thing for students (who may have learning disabilities) who don't want to get intimidated by all the features of the software showcased in the menu. The buttons are minimal and very well spaced, thus making them easier to locate.

The software either allows direct recording of audio or import of an audio file. I must mention that I have used audio recording software in the past, but they were all a little cumbersome to use, and the recorded audio quality was above average at best. However, the audio that I recorded using Audio Notetaker was crystal clear! Also, the recording process literally involves the click of just one button, nothing else!

Note: I recorded audio on a Macbook Air. If you are using Windows with an external mic, you might want to enable the mic before recording audio.

The software also lets you color code different sections of your audio. For example, if you are attending a lecture in which the professor discusses different topics, you can add different colors to different sections of the audio that will let you know what is where. You can also go back to a certain location repeatedly to listen to audio notes again and again. Audio Notetaker also allows the user to control the playback speed, which means that one can easily increase or decrease the playback speed as per their requirements.

Audio Notetaker offers quite many features, but I did not explore each one of them primarily because I felt that recording/playing audio, adding colors to audio sections, highlighting etc. would be the features that would be extensively used by students with dyslexia or anyone with some kind of learning disability.

Watch the introductory video to see what Audio Notetaker can do.

A 30 day trial of the software can be downloaded from their website here. A one year license would cost you $74.99 and a full license is $149.99.

Visit Sonocent's website for more information.

Click here to view the press release (takes you to minus.com).

Kinect Accessibility

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Perhaps the greatest innovation in the gaming industry in recent years has been the Kinect. No controller required, only your body movements. But how accessible is the Kinect? Has Microsoft taken care of its gamers who have physical/ sensory impairments?

Yes it has.

One important requirement for playing Kinect games is that the player has to be standing in order to get recognized by the Kinect sensors. But what if the player is in a wheelchair? There are some Kinect titles that allow the player to keep sitting while playing - no need to stand!

Microsoft encourages players in wheelchairs to try to move long protruding arm rests (some motorized wheelchairs have them) away from Kinect's view because the Kinect sensor may think that they are another set of arms. Also, it is advisable to keep the sensor at seated chest level or slightly higher, not below.

Microsoft is also encouraging publishers to include features that would be enjoyed by users while sitting. Quite many features in the latest XBox Live update allows users to use voice commands while sitting to navigate through the dashboard and perform required actions (play/ pause/ stop/ forward/ rewind/ next/ previous/go home) - a blessing for users with impaired motor skills for whom operating a remote control may not be easy.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility with Kinect, contact Kinect accessibility experts at xaccess[at]microsoft[dot]com.

Read more about Kinect accessibility here.

Unus Tactus - Easy iPhone Interface For People With Motor/ Cognitive Deficits

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Unus Tactus is a new iOS app that is designed to simplify the lives of people with mild cognitive and/ or motor deficits. The app creates an easy to use phone interface and adds quite many important features that can be easily used for making calls and in case of an emergency.

Unus Tactus creates an interface that shows all contacts in the phone in a 4x4 grid. Each grid has a contact's name and a big thumbnail of them. Calling them simply requires a tap on the thumbnail.

Another useful feature is the big help button on the app, which is available all the time. Whenever the help button is pressed, two things happen: a phone call is made to an emergency contact, and at the same time a link is emailed to the emergency contact showing the person's exact location on Google Maps.

The app also has a very interesting feature called Geofence which keeps track of the phone owner's physical location. If the person exits the "fence" (which can be set on the phone - 1 to 15 miles radius), an email with a link to that person's exact location on Google Maps, and an iCloud link (for tracking in real time if the emergency contact knows the phone owner's iCloud login) is sent to the emergency contact.

Both these features can be especially helpful to people who suffer from Dementia, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or any other disease that affects judgement, cognition etc.

The idea behind the app is to give peace of mind to caregivers, and to assure them that their loved ones are safe. Although this app is meant for people with cognitive deficits, I see this app as a very useful tool for even people with visual impairment who may use the help button if they get lost during their daily travels, or exit their "geofence". People with low vision too may find the big thumbnails very helpful for making calls.

Currently, this app is only available for iOS (4.2 and above) for $9.99. Go to the Apple app store to buy this app.

To visit the developer's website, click here. The developer also has a Facebook page (Unus Tactus) and a twitter handle (@unustactus).

Wimpy Braille Burger and Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:46:00 +0000

We now know that Wimpy in South Africa is one restaurant that has braille menus, thanks to a video on Youtube that has gone viral. In order to spread awareness about their braille menus, Wimpy made special buns for their burgers by placing sesame seeds on them in such a way that they spelled words in braille.

"100% pure beef burger made for you."

The video claims that 15 people who ate the burgers helped spread the word about Wimpy('s braille menu) to 800,000 other individuals with visual impairment through their newsletters and emails.

Here is the commercial with added voice over.

To see the original commercial without the voice over, click here.

Read more about the braille burgers here.

[Thanks for sharing, Prashant!]

Subway Navigation In NYC To Become Easier For Hard Of Hearing

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:40:00 +0000

In a busy area like NYC where subway stations are always crowded , navigation for a person with hearing impairment can become quite uneasy. Canceling all the unnecessary noise while asking for directions or seeking more information about oncoming trains can be a daunting task.

Not anymore.

Thanks to a device called "hearing loop" being introduced all over the city, hearing only what is important without unnecessary noise is becoming quite possible. The loop is placed close to a room or a window and sends out signals which are caught by a "t-coil" which is already inside many hearing aids and cochrain implants. The t-coil eliminates all the background noise and picks up only what is coming out of a microphone or speaker.

That's it!

To watch a detailed video and read more about this process, please go here.

Source: ny1.com via design:related

MV-1: Wheelchair Accessible Car

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 05:20:00 +0000

MV-1 is the first ever vehicle to be introduced that is wheelchair accessible right out of the factory. Launched by a startup called Vehicle Production Group, the MV-1 is priced at $39,500 (and up), and has been specifically designed keeping people with disabilities in mind.

The vehicle, which looks like a cross between a SUV and a mini van, is already available through 41 dealers in the US. The company already has orders for 4,000 of these vehicles, and is expected to manufacture 12,000 units next year, and 25,000 the year after. The vehicle is quite spacious - it has abundant head room and has room for four people in wheelchairs along with four adults plus luggage. It comes with a powerful V8 4.6L engine, and gives a mileage of around 15 mpg on gasoline or 13.5 mpg on compressed natural gas.

The MV-1 comes with a ramp that can be deployed manually, wheelchair restraining track, and a six way adjustable driver's seat. Spending a little more than $2,000 will give the MV-1 a power ramp with lighting and cruise control, among other things. It also comes up with a 5 year/75,000 miles warranty.

To see a list of all the features available in this vehicle, please go here.

Website: Vehicle Production Group

See the videos for more information:

Source: Autoweek via @Empowerability

WalkSafe - Android App That Watches Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:14:00 +0000

A new Android app called WalkSafe has been designed to watch for oncoming traffic on a busy road when a person is trying to cross the road while talking on the phone. This app may help people with visual impairment help detect approaching vehicles and take appropriate action (stay where you are/ cross the road quickly). The app uses the back camera of the phone, image recognition and machine learning algorithms to detect oncoming traffic. It alerts users by producing a loud sound and vibration.

The app can detect vehicles from 50 meters away traveling at a speed of 30 mph. The one limitation of this app is that it only detects traffic coming from one direction, not both.

As of now, WalkSafe does not have a good rating on the Android Market ( 2.2/5 from 12 users). Looks like it still needs some substantial work for it to be more widely used.

Watch the video for a quick demo:

WalkSafe on Android Market

Source: Gizmodo

Tablet As Braille Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Adam Duran and his mentors have created a unique app that allows a tablet to be used as a Braille writer. But.. how is it possible for a blind person to use a tablet with a just a flat/smooth touchscreen (and no physical keys) to type characters?

That's where this app stands out. Instead of making the user find keys with their fingertips the traditional way, this app finds the fingertips of the user and produces "keys" on the screen right under the fingertips which can then be used to type Braille characters. It doesn't matter how thick or thin the user's fingers are - the user just touches the screen with their eight fingers and the keys appear and orient themselves to the fingers. In case the user becomes disoriented, the app can be reset simply by lifting all fingers off the screen and putting them back down.

This app has not been launched to the masses yet.

Here's a video of this concept and app in action:

Hit the source link for more information.

Source: Engadget, Stanford University

Car For The Blind

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Dennis Hong, Associate Professor at Virginia Tech is busy designing a car for the blind. Woah, wait a minute! A car for the blind, you say? One may think that that's pretty much impossible, but you will be surprised to see how close the concept is to completion.

Dr. Hong's car for the blind is a work in progress, aka a prototype. It all started when he was contacted by the National Federation of the Blind to design a car for the visually impaired that would not only give instructions (turn right, turn left, stop), but also allow them to make active decisions (speed up, slow down, stop). In the initial stages he created a dune buggy prototype, but the problem with that was that it was designed to be in a very controlled environment - a parking lot, if you will. The real challenge was to develop a real car that would be driven on real roads.

Here is that car..

The car primarily acts on three principles:

Perception: Since the car is driven by people who cannot see, it needs to perceive the environment and gather information for the driver. The car uses measurement units that measure acceleration and fuse that information with a GPS unit to get an estimated location of the car. There are two cameras on the road that detect lanes on the road, and a laser range finder that detects obstacles around the car.

Computation: This is where all the information gathered by the perception components are processed and conveyed to the driver. As I mentioned above, this car doesn't just give the driver instructions, but also allows them to make decisions. Well, how do you convey instructions and information at the same time to someone who is blind?

Non Visual Interfaces: Using NVIs. The car uses several Non Visual Interfaces that assist the driver in gauging the environment and making decisions.

DriveGrip: These are gloves that the driver wears that have vibration components on the knuckles part. These gloves convey instructions on how to steer (direction and intensity).

SpeedStrip: This is a chair with vibrating elements that convey instructions on how to use gas and brake pedals.

AirPix: This is an interface out of which compressed air comes out. The cameras on the car send information to AirPix which in turn is sensed by the driver.

Other NVIs.

Watch the video of Dr. Hong presenting this idea at TED. At 5:30 in the video, you will see a successful implementation of this concept in the real world.

This prototype does what it is supposed to do, but is it easy to introduce this car in the market? How would society react to such a vehicle? Would blind people be accepted as "real" drivers? Would rules be amended to provide driving licenses to blind people? Dr. Hong also mentions in his talk that this concept is not just for the blind. It can very well be used to make driving a lot more safer and easier even for people with vision.

What are your thoughts?

Source: TED

Wheelchair That Can Be Controlled Using Facial Expressions

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Researchers at Japan's Miyazaki University have come up with a prototype wheelchair that has the ability to recognize facial expressions. This wheelchair is especially beneficial for people who have paralysis from the neck down or are losing power in their muscles due to Muscular Dystrophy/ALS. The wheelchair is very easy to use, and requires these facial expressions for movement:

Blink left eye: Turns wheelchair to the left.

Blink right eye: Turns wheelchair to the right.

Clench teeth: Wheelchair moves forward.

Clench teeth again: Wheelchair stops.

This wheelchair uses proximity sensors to determine if there are any objects in the path. If there is no obstruction, then the wheelchair speeds up, and if it detects something, it slows down. It stops when it is a meter away from an object.

The researchers soon plan to use wireless goggles instead of the facial electrodes to communicate with the wheelchair. This year they are testing it with muscular dystrophy patients and getting feedback. They plan to release a commercial version next year.

Watch this video for a demo:

Source: Gizmodo, Diginfo.tv, TechCrunch

Panasonic RoboticBed: Wheelchair Cum Bed

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 05:42:00 +0000

(image source: TechCrunch)

Showcased at CEATEC 2011 in Japan, the RoboticBed is the latest invention by Panasonic which is essentially a bed that can transform into a wheelchair as and when needed. This helps people with limited mobility to move around without having to get down from a bed and getting in a wheelchair.

The RoboticBed was originally released in 2009, however, this version is being considered more practical and safer. Most of the features on this model have been inherited from the one released in 2009. The wheelchair is capable of moving in all directions and detecting obstacles. Also, looks like they got rid of the "canopy" that came with the original model.

Watch this video to see the RoboticBed in action:

There is no news on when RoboticBed is likely to hit the market as a final product.

Source: TechCrunch

FotoBabble: Add Voice To Your Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Sharing your photos with people with visual impairment just got a lot more easier and fun. Well, visual impairment may not allow them to see your pictures, but they would still love to hear about your experiences, right? But what if they are far away from you - a couple of states, maybe an ocean away? That's when FotoBabble comes into the picture. FotoBabble is a web/mobile service that lets you add voice to your pictures. You can sign up for this service (it's free) and use either their website or iPhone app to create pictures with audio descriptions. You can either upload your own picture or choose one from Facebook, and add an audio description (maximum 60 seconds) to it.

Here is picture from FotoBabble with a very good audio description of the picture (click the play button at the bottom left corner of the picture to hear the audio).

Here is a quick tutorial on how to add audio to a picture using FotoBabble.

Website: www.FotoBabble.com
iPhone app (free): iTunes Store

Source: Mashable

Braille Credit Card (Concept)

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Speaking of Braille cards, here is a credit card concept design that shows the amount that has been paid in Braille on the credit card. The designer of this card thinks that having a Braille credit card can provide benefits to visually impaired users in a couple of ways in that with a regular credit card, they have to depend on the person behind the counter telling them what the actual amount to be charged is. The amount that they tell the user may be incorrect. The braille credit card, however, embosses the amount charged on the card so that the user could feel it. Also, the credit card has a built in speaker that can speak out the amount charged at the push of a button.

(click to enlarge)

Hit the source link to read more about this design, and to see more illustrations.

Source: Yankodesign

Another interesting Braille prototype.

Starbucks Braille Card

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:32:00 +0000

Our visually impaired friends who are suckers for Starbucks coffee can take advantage of this unique Braille card Starbucks has launched this fall. The card not only has a picture of fall leaves that are changing colors, but also has the word "Starbucks" in Braille at the top of the card. This would help visually impaired people pick the right card from their wallet.

The cards can either be obtained at Satrbucks stores (although the writer of the source article could not find one at her local store), or they can be bought on their website. The card can be charged for $15, $25, $50, and $100.

Source: Abledbody

Audio Haptic Navigation Environment + Tension + Tacit = ?

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:27:00 +0000

Here is AHNE, or Audio Haptic Navigation Environment, which allows users to locate sound in 3D space with a Kinect sensor (using OpenNI and OSCeleton for primarily capturing body movement information through Kinect). The user wears a glove with sensors and motors that helps them locate and manipulate sound in the 3D space.

And here's Tension, another project that uses a Kinect sensor, and is meant for multiple users. Up to five users can use this space simultaneously. When a user enters the space, a specific sound is assigned to him or her, and they can manipulate other sounds depending on their distance from other users.

These two fascinating projects got me thinking. What if we could combine these two with this? Essentially, we would be creating a space where visually impaired people could meet for recreation (music). They could wear the glove for AHNE on one hand and Tacit on the other which would make sure that they don't bump into each other while making awesome music!

This is just an idea that came to me after I read about these projects. What are your thoughts? Is this feasible?

Source: CreateDigitalMusic

Here are some more Kinect related posts.

Audiobooks: Audiobook App for iOS

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Audiobooks is very true to its name, and if you like (free) audiobooks, then this is the app for you. Available for both iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad, Audiobooks has over 3,500 classic books available for free. Most of the books come from the LibriVox Project where people from around the world release classic audiobooks that they themselves recorded.

Audiobooks is very intuitive and easy to use. The first option on the app on the left navigation bar is "Top 50" from where you can choose one of the most popular classic books. You can also search for a book using the search option on the top left corner.

Notice that some of the books are highlighted in green and some in grey. The ones in grey are totally free whereas the ones in green have both free and paid options.

If you choose a book highlighted in green you will get multiple versions of it. The first version is always the paid version.

There is also an "All A - Z" option that lists all the books this app has. Here, the ones highlighted in grey have both free and paid versions, however, the ones in blue are paid only. There are no free versions of those books available.

This app has a rating of 3/5 on iTunes. I noticed that most of the critical reviewers were looking for modern day books on this app which they obviously did not find. After reading those comments, I think I should mention here again that this app only has classic books. I tried three audiobooks and did not have any problems going through them (not the entire lengths, just bits and pieces for the sake of this blog post).

The ad supported app is available for free. If you don't want to see ads and access some more features, you can get the app for $.99.

Enhanced Accessibility For Blind Google Users

noreply@blogger.com (Venkat Rao) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

One thing remarkable about Google is that it is constantly doing its best to make its products more and more accessible. Recently, Google added some more accessibility features and new keyboard shortcuts to make use of Docs, Sites, and Calendar easier for users with visual impairment.

Accessibility in Google Docs and Sites

If you are a Google Docs user, you will hear feedback when you format text, insert tables/labels/comments, upload/download a file etc. In Spreadsheets, you will hear cell location, contents, and comments when you move between cells. You will also hear feedback outside the main content area (menu bar, dialog box, chat pane etc.).

In sites, you will hear feedback when you navigate through your site, add/edit pages, and navigate through menus and dialog boxes.

To read more about the enhanced features in Docs and Sites, click here.

Keyboard shortcuts for Google documents.

Keyboard shortcuts for spreadsheets.

Keyboard shortcuts for documents list.

Keyboard shortcuts for Sites.

Improved Accessibility in Google Calendars

Accessibility has been enhanced for calendar lists, agenda view, and guest lists, as well as new shortcuts have been added to make Google Calendars easier to use. To read about these enhanced accessibility features, click here.

To read more about accessibility provided by Google, go to their accessibility page.

Adding accessibility features to its products is an ongoing process at Google. I will keep you updated about more accessible features as and when they are announced.

Source: Google Docs Blog