EYE 21 System Lets the Blind ‘See’ by Assigning Sounds to Shapes
By Coxworth, Ben; Gizmag,Publication Date: July 6, 2011
Article features a system that allows blind users to be aware of their surroundings through the use of sound. Called EYE 21, the system consists of a pair of sunglasses with two built in micro video cameras, a computer, and a pair of headphones. The two cameras analyze the space in front of them, creating a three-dimensional model of it. Sounds are assigned to the various surfaces in that space and are played back through the headphones. By listening to this mosaic of sound, blind users are reportedly able to “hear space” with their brains turning the sounds into shapes. EYE 21 was developed by engineers at the Research Center for Graphic Technologies at Spain’s Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV). The system is somewhat similar to one developed at Virginia Tech called AirPix, which creates a tactile representation of a blind driver’s surroundings which can be felt by holding one’s hand over a matrix of small holes blowing pressurized air.
Published by: Gizmag Pty Ltd (Website:http://www.gizmag.com/)
Link to text: http://www.gizmag.com/eye-21-sound-system-for-blind/19138/
