tpennick@axion.bt.co.uk (Tim Pennick) (03/16/91)
Index Number: 14054 This posting is in the vain hope that someone has come up with a really quick and practical way of converting print diagrams into tactile ones. I know this is theoretically possible with the help of one of those Minolta machines, but the diagrams usually need to be re-drawn, the problem being that by the time you've magnified the diagram enough to be able to read the labels, it is so huge as to be impractical. I currently have an embosser which has "graphics" potential i.e. it can print a matrix of dots with uniform spacing between them, but I have never used the graphics feature, as preparing diagrams for processing seems prohibitively labour-intensive. I presume that any automated system would need as its front-end, an OCR system capable of storing and processing graphics as well as text. This image would then need to be transferred to some software which would convert it into instructions suitable for driving an embosser with graphics feature. The real problem I think, would be to separate text portions from graphics portions in order to convert the text to braille (which at the magnification needed to be readable by touch takes up less space than print). Any thoughts preferably by E-mail as I don't often get time to read this group. Regards, Tim Pennick
CSMIDHC@UCLAMVS.BITNET (Danny Hilton-Chalfen) (04/12/91)
Index Number: 14776 tpennick@axion.bt.co.uk (Tim Pennick) wants to know: " This posting is in the vain hope that someone has come up with a really quick and practical way of converting print diagrams into tactile ones." Enabling Technologies in Stuart, Florida says that they have a software program that will convert scanned images into tactile braille graphics. I have only seen paper samples and not used the program yet myself. I hope to try it in the coming month. Their number is 407-283-4817. Danny Hilton-Chalfen UCLA Office of Academic Computing Disabled Computing Program Bitnet: csmidhc@uclamvs.
reinoud@duteca.uucp (Reinoud Lamberts) (04/26/91)
Index Number: 15218 Some time ago I discovered that some copiers and laser printers produce output with distinctly perceptible edges on the boundaries between black and white parts. A blind girl, with a much keener sense of touch than I have, confirmed that she could interpret some ordinary laser-printed images. The most interesting results were obtained with images processed by computer. A portrait processed with a high quality edge detection filter she readily recognized as such, and she could even detect that the portrait was of a woman. On the techical part: to get perceptible edges a rather thick layer of toner is required. Therefore best results can be expected with cheap copiers and laser printers. Maybe it is possible to adjust the toner thickness on a device dedicated to tactile output. Reception of the misc.handicap group is very erratic on this site, so please send a copy of a posted reaction to me by email. Regards, - Reinoud email: reinoud@duteca.et.tudelft.nl
mortent@ifi.uio.no (Morten Tollefsen) (05/01/91)
Index Number: 15263 In article <15218@handicap.news> reinoud@duteca.uucp (Reinoud Lamberts) writes: > Index Number: 15218 > > Some time ago I discovered that some copiers and laser printers > produce output with distinctly perceptible edges on the > boundaries between black and white parts. A blind girl, with a > much keener sense of touch than I have, confirmed that she could > interpret some ordinary laser-printed images. > > The most interesting results were obtained with images processed > by computer. A portrait processed with a high quality edge > detection filter she readily recognized as such, and she could > even detect that the portrait was of a woman. > > On the techical part: to get perceptible edges a rather thick > layer of toner is required. Therefore best results can be > expected with cheap copiers and laser printers. Maybe it is > possible to adjust the toner thickness on a device dedicated to > tactile output. > This is interesting! Tactile images is a big problem because computers use graphic presentation. Tecnically it isn't very difficult to design a tactile graphic tablet (this is done for example in Germany). The problem is that blind people have not the visual background to understand graphic in the same way as sighted people. Other problems with tactile images includes: how to represent different colors, orientation, etc.. Braille printers can be used to print black and white pictures (in USA the Versapoint printer from TSI has this feature). Other Braille printers which can print graphics includes: Braillo (a Norwegian printer) and Index Basic. You said that a blind girl could interpret an ordinary laser output. I think she is the exeption rather than the roule. Problems with tactile interpretation is described for example by Gunnar Jansson, and his work is very interesting. I have don an experiment with tactile images, but this experiment is only described in Norwegian. An overview follows: 6 simple symbols were printed on a Versapoint. The symbols were: a horse shoe (10) smiling face (6) foot prints (2) wheelshair symbol (3) don't enter sign (0) traffic light (2) The digits represent how many of the persons who was able to understand the tactile image (10 persons were tested). In my article I try to explain this results, but research is needed to find out: how to make graphics availiable to visually impaired persons. This problem is getting increasingly importaint because of the computer graphics, and I think that we have to use more graphics in scools (as early as possible). The problem is discussed in a lot of papers. I have some of them, and if it's interesting I will send a list. I'm also very interested in articles discussing tactile graphics, so if it's somebody who have something please give me a reference! I'm sorry for my poor English, but I hope it's understandable. *M-T* Morten Tollefsen UNIK Pb 70, 2007 Kjeller Norway
David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (David Andrews) (05/03/91)
Index Number: 15303
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
To: tpennick@axion.bt.co.uk
TP> This posting is in the vain hope that someone has come up with a
TP> really quick and practical way of converting print diagrams into
TP> tactile ones.
The company Personal Data Systems, in Campbell, California has just released a
program called Pictac. It runs with the Arkenstone Reader, a scanning system
used by blind persons. It scans a graphic, such as a line drawing, and converts
it into braille. You need an Arkenstone and a graphics capable braille printer.
I believe that if you buy your machine from PDS, Noel includes the program. I
should be testing it in the next couple weeks. For more info you can call 408-
866-1126 and ask for Noel Runyan.
... David Andrews
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!David.Andrews
Internet: David.Andrews@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.orgGlen.Nielson@f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Glen Nielson) (05/16/91)
Index Number: 15679
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi Morten
I agree with your assessment of the value of Laser printers as
tactile aids. I have used them wsth various typesetting and plotting
programs. I fear that I would score poorly on your test--I'd get
the horseshoe right and probably one or (if it was my luck) day)
two others. Nonetheless, I think I could effectively work in a
graphics environment with the right equipment. I have "fought" a
graphics-oriented terminal--the Symbolics Terminal. What about
Outspoken users? I happen to be optimistic about speech access
to Windows 3.0 coming soon.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!115!778!Glen.Nielson
Internet: Glen.Nielson@f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org