Technologies that enable the blind to "see"
A Life Inspiration / / December 19, 2019
The world's 180 million blind and visually impaired. Each year this number increases. Experts predict that by 2020 the earth will be 275 million people with serious vision problems.
20-30 years ago in the arsenal of the blind and visually impaired people have only a cane, guide dogs and simple electronic devices with voice function (hours, landlines). But today we live in a digital world. The world of gadgets, instant messengers and interfaces.
Layfhaker decided to figure out how to integrate blind and visually impaired in the IT-environment. Is it modern technology help? Do they have access to mainstream Soup?
Hardware and software
Blind people now available conventional portable and stationary computers. To work on documents or surfing the web, do not need Braille displays, keyboards, scanners, and speakers. All of these devices on the market, but are quite expensive (starting price on the Braille display - $ 2000) and, as generally used only in special institutions for the blind (schools, libraries, rehabilitation centers).
Pavel Malyshev (Blind), the administrator of the "Computers and we»:
Special requirements to have no iron. Is that a good sound card and processor.
To a normal PC is now available blind person, you must install it on only two programs:
- screen readers (screen reader) - is a screen reader program that reads everything that happens on the screen of the user;
- speech synthesizer - a program that converts the digital information that is read by screen readers, in the spoken language.
screen access programs more. The most popular of them - JAWS and NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA). As a rule, the blind use both, but the latter is more popular because it is free and is open source.
Too many synthesizers: Acapela, Vokalizer, RHVoice and others. Many screen readers and operating systems have built-in synthesizer.
Pavel Malyshev:
We mainly work on Windows. Firstly, the OS is the most affordable (Mac - this is certainly great, but not everyone can afford, and Linux is too complicated in terms of the settings for us). Second, starting with "eights" in the system has a built-in screen reader. We are waiting for the final release of Windows 10 - there will be more opportunities.
Choosing the voice synthesizer depends on personal preference blind or partially sighted person. Someone nice to hear a woman's voice, someone - male; someone is paying attention to robotized, someone looking for a synthesizer with the best "live" voice.
Maria Yakimov (Blind), group editor of "Computers and us":
differently by different synthesizers reproduce the same text. For example, if you write "ahhh" (like a cry), some read like a long 'a' (pull the sound), while others pronounced simply as a letter. To read the English text is better to put a special vote, since, for example, "Melena" bluetooth word pronounced "bluetoop". Also overlooked synthesisers spelling mistakes and often confused accent.
Blind mouse virtually no use, but are fluent keyboard. Blind input (do not consider the pun) in this case is not steep skill and elemental skill. Using various combinations of hot keys blind and visually impaired people are working with different programs.
The choice of software in the blind is determined by how accessible the program is to screen readers. For example, Microsoft Office package is read almost completely. There are even special training courses for the blind and visually impaired work in Word, Excel, and so on. D.
Read and send mail blind people prefer through the mail client - web version often not available (exception - Gmail). Popular in the blind and visually impaired program for e-mail - mozilla Thunderbird, The Bat!.
Skype - the most convenient messenger from the human point of view, devoid of the ability to see. And not only that in this case the voice to communicate easier, and that get along with him very well screen reader (you can find the contact you want without any problems, call or "put tube "). Voice chat TeamTalk also used.
As for browsers, the most adapted deemed Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. Chrome less convenient. The reason, again, is simple and banal - there is no signed of buttons that could be read screen readers.
In this case, the blind get information not only from the text or audio content.
Pavel Malyshev:
We are happy to "look» YouTube. The only problem - the player is sometimes confused with screen readers. Difficult to navigate, the focus is now the player or not. If not, it does not respond to keyboard commands.
As you can see, a set of software from a blind man is not much different from a standard user software. You can not say about video games.
Games
Computer games - an important part of the digital world. Gamers are ready to argue themselves hoarse that it was better: the Xbox or the PlayStation, and the developers are ready to invest millions of dollars to make their games more realistic.
Blind people also love the game, but the gameplay will seem very strange sighted.
Roman Gerus (Blind), arranger:
We also have a strategy, and shooter. They are focused on the sound, that is, the screen is blank. Locations are being built with the help of sounds: you walk down the hall (you hear footsteps), boom - ran into a wall, I turned around, you go on and so forth..
Games for the blind - it's mostly Western, nerusifitsirovannye development. Most of them are logic puzzles (chess, checkers, card games). One of the largest Russian-language portals with games for the blind - ontoys.net.
Social networks
They say that in the world of the blind things are the way they really are. Whether in white mug you, or with a fashionable print - it's just a circle. Seeing social networks sometimes substitute for reality. And what role "VKontakte», Facebook and other social sphere play in the lives of blind people?
Maria Yakimova:
I'm in the social networks to express themselves (I write poems and songs). Also, the social network for me - is to meet new people and exchange experiences.
Web version of social networking is not always readable for screen readers, so many people with disabilities, visually impaired use the program Miranda. Blind joke: "The developers probably do not know what a handy thing done for us." Use social networks through the program more convenient because there is no pop-up windows in them. If an ordinary person can one-click to close the unwanted banner, then a blind person has to wait for screen readers believed it.
Mobile devices are often used app kate Mobile. According to the visually impaired, it is more convenient to the native application "VKontakte", and most importantly, its developers can easily go to the dialogue and consider the wishes.
Usability touch
Internet is filled with graphics. Most recently, the desire for a beautiful and colorful design, flash animation, and abundance was seen as progress and "revives the future." But for the blind all this created a lot of problems.
Pavel Malyshev:
It used to be easier: screen readers read without problems almost any site. But with each passing year becomes more and more graphics - screen reader does not have time for this process. Of course, we can not say for seeing, "Friends, maybe, well them, these pictures?". We need a compromise. And I think he's close. At least, the trend for minimalism and simplicity in design that helps. :)
Few people know, but there are standards development sites for people with special needs, Including for the blind. These guidelines are voluntary, rare developers adhere to them. After all, the development of usability for normal users - is already a difficult task, requiring great resources and usability for special groups of people - even more difficult. Balance the interests of all users is quite difficult.
Pleasant fact: according to blind users Layfhaker 90% perceived screen readers.
Mobile devices
In a blind person perfectly developed other senses. Sharpen hearing and touch. Ears and hands are virtually blind eyes.
At the touch of a blind man could not only read (Braille), but also to understand what the object in front of him. But what if this thing with a totally flat screen - no points and buttons?
Late last year, the Indian inventor Sumit Dagar (Sumit Dagar) presented his design - smartphone for the blind and visually impaired people. The essence of innovation is that with a special touch (!) Display graphics and text information is translated into Braille. This is achieved due to lower and raise the microneedles and thereby creating a relief. According to reports in the press, after the market cost of such a smartphone will be about $ 185.
But whether the blind need this gadget if the mobile device with a touchscreen can be made available in software?
Pavel Malyshev:
Pushbutton Soup on Symbian or Windows Mobile can be learned in half an hour. Get used to the touch screen a little more complicated, but with screen readers (VoiceOver for Apple and Talkback for Android) problem is solved.
Great help blind also provide voice assistant. They allow you to control your smartphone using your voice. They are familiar to you: Siri, Cortana, Google Now, and others.
However, the majority of them does not speak in Russian (except for Google Now). In this regard, the Russian-speaking assistant stands out against the background of "Darling".
About how it works Android-application and its capabilities Layfhaker already told its readers (Reference № 1, Reference № 2). If you are not familiar with "Dusya", watch the video below.
In addition, the modern multi-pixel camera and without any additional software - perfect assistant. Visually impaired people, that is not completely devoid of view, using zoom camera as a portable digital magnifier.
object recognition
With the coming to life of blind mobile gadgets began to appear and the application, improving its quality.
Pavel Malyshev:
Three years ago there were very few useful or just applications available (the button is not signed, then even that). Now more and more programs to facilitate our lives.
One of the main difficulties that blind people face in everyday life - is the recognition of objects. For example, you can hear the approaching bus, but not his number. Therefore, people with disabilities, visually impaired actively try different applications, allows you to read the surrounding landscape.
Roman Gerus:
If the bill is not new, to touch to distinguish its face value is almost impossible. Will not help any embossed stripes.
Solves this problem perfectly app Blind-Droid Wallet. If you bring the bill to the smartphone's camera, voice synthesizer will issue immediately: "1 000" or "100 dollars".
Another example - google Goggles. Not all drugs have Braille markings. This application can help out when you need to read the label.
It is more difficult to store. Program that reads the product names and price tags, yet. But there is an idea to create a similar service.
«Utrofon"- is a service designed to help the blind navigate the city (shopping, read the signs, vehicle number, etc...). Details principle of operation is described in this videoBut if in a few words, then the ear, the headset is attached a special device (actually "utrofon"), equipped with a camera, headphones, microphone, and 3G. When a blind person needs help, he calls to a special call-center, and the person on the other end of the wire describes the environment.
Orientation in space
A guy goes to school, she walks down the street, an old man up the stairs... and soon you will not understand that they are blind. How they manage so deftly guided in space, because they do not have in their hands a cane or a guide leash?
Eye surgeon Anthony Vipin-Des (Anthony Vipin Das) for many years and his team are working to create a tactile shoes. The idea is that the GPS will guide a blind person, transmitting signals to the insole of shoes (light vibration). The project is called Le Chal (translated from Hindi - "take me"), he is considered to be promising, even won a two-million grant from the US Department of Defense.
But while this, like many other concepts, only a theory. In practice, the orientation in space of the blind and visually impaired people, things are much more complicated.
Pavel Malyshev:
Conventional Navigators do not suit us, we use OsmAnd (For Android) and Ariadne (For iOS). They allow you to not only pave the voice route, but to follow it, focusing on audio cues, "inspected" on the ground. Even stopping to announce in public transport (minibuses for especially convenient).
We discussed the problem of the orientation of blind people in the space of a robotics engineer, CEO Vitaly Oriense Kitaev.
Vitaly China "Every year there are a couple of startups that are enthusiastic and believe that the problems of the blind can be solved easily and quickly, armed with GPS and ultrasonic and infrared sensors.
Electronic canes, ultrasound lights - such devices on the market are many. But they have little functional as determined by the obstacle only to the point where directed, have greater accuracy and price.
Another group of devices - is locators that convert 2D-images in audio or tactile images (system vOICe and AuxDeco). They take an ordinary monochrome image is transferred and each tone black-and-white pixel in the audible or tactile signal, respectively. But the problem is that in the former case, cluttered sound channel, and the second - is likely tactile habituation.
Also, there is now an interesting Israeli project OrCam. This so-called system virtual view. The technology scans the surroundings, recognize faces and gestures and even can read printed text. But, unfortunately, the project is focused only on the visually impaired audience, that is, the person should see at least the outlines of objects. "
Company Vitaly also developing devices for spatial orientation of blind and visually impaired people. It is called Oriense.
Oriense - a device consisting of three modules: the glasses with 3D-stereo camera, the computer unit, which can be put in your pocket or hang on the belt, and headphones. 3D-stereo camera allows you not only to understand the position of the pixel on the X and Y, are but to see the distance to it. Thus the depth map is created. Also, the apparatus processes the signals from the position sensors and GPS and generates 3D-user voice and audioizobrazhenie description landscape. 3D-audioizobrazhenie - a change in tone and subtleties of tone, allowing to identify the obstacle quickly. According to the developers, they want to, to make a device that exceeds the existing GPS-navigators. For example, there are already Oriense function recognition holes and stairs, traffic light, and its creators plan to in the future to ensure that the device also reads the vehicle number.
Does this mean that the blind will be able to do without a cane?
Pavel Malyshev:
No matter how perfect was the system, it does not negate the use of a cane. The device will not be able, for example, measure the depth of the puddle in front of the blind, and with the help of a cane man will be able to feel it.
Future
Technology and the people who created them, is not blind to those who are deprived of the opportunity to see the world in all its glory. Due to screen readers, speech synthesizers, and voice assistants visually impaired fully accessible computers, tablets and touchscreen phones. Each year there are concepts of devices that are designed to improve the quality of life of blind and visually impaired. Sensors determine the color, measuring line, bracelets navigators - What did not come up with designers and developers. Someone might say that this is just a nice idea, but is not thought engenders action?
We asked the blind children, whether they feel the positive impact of technology on their lives, and that's what they said.
Roman GerusComputers and the Internet gives us endless possibilities. We can read, promptly receive any information. But, on the other hand, suffers from a live chat.
Pavel MalyshevOf course, the help of technology. It becomes more convenient. The only thing that I would like that all programs and devices are placed in one small gadget like Apple Watch.
Maria YakimovInternet and new technologies allow us to be on a par with everyone else. Just learn, communicate, be creative, get answers to your questions.