Update: Due to low usage, Google Health decided to cease operations as of Jan. 1, 2013. Many of Google's users were unwilling to share personal information online, even if it was for doctors, and its lack of success is most likely due to fear of identity theft.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Vision without Sight
Going on to the Tech section of news websites this morning, all anyone seems to be talking about is Facebook. With the new IPO release, operating issue, and the conclusion that Facebook users get more "likes" than they give, it's easy to see why Facebook is just dominating the internet right now. But not here. Today it's not about Facebook.
It's about technology doing something that one could call "miraculous." The blind members of our community may soon be able to use the internet as we all do, under a system dubbed "computer vision."
So how can you see without sight? This is no small task, as the eye and optic nerves are two of the most complex systems in the human body, an entity already riddled with mysteries. But when over 20 million people in the United States live with varying degrees of visual impairment (VI), the need to reduce the difficulty of everyday life for these people becomes evident. There are only a handful of computer vision systems and algorithms qualified to help improve vision, and although more are in development and testing, developers must remember the specific needs of the vision impaired population, and work with their needs in all aspects of design and development.
Because there are many degrees of vision impairment, from simply needing glasses to being completely blind, it is important to note that this article does not overgeneralize the needs of this population. However, there are some aspects of life that most vision impaired people need to improve, and one of these is mobility, or the ability to walk around a crowded city or town without getting hurt. It's equally important for the person to be aware of the direction in which he is moving, be it straight or slightly wavy, so he can adjust his path accordingly. The new computer techniques combine the organization of a computer algorithm with the sensitivity of an optical device similar to the human eye to alert someone to the presence of obstacles and dangers which may otherwise be overlooked. The information is converted into speech or tactile stimulus so the VI person can understand what's going on.
Mobility for the VI community usually means the white cane and/or the guide dog, and most of the advances made on these tools have been cameras on the cane to detect range and shape of objects. These devices are called electronic travel aids, or ETAs. They can operate using echolocation, as a bat would use to navigate, using three lasers to triangulate position, or, and this is a new idea, structured light hitting a computer, optical sensor. This last method is especially good at detecting steps and curbs, but not overhead obstructions that 13% of VI people collide with monthly.
According to a report by Loomis, et. al., "there are two main ways which a blind person can navigate with confidence in a possibly complex environment and find his or her way to a destination: piloting and path integration." This is along the lines of another mobility technique called wayfinding, which orients a VI person along a specified path.The piloting is obvious and similar to the ETA technique, but the path integration part is able to correct your path based on incremental movements, similar to how a GPS can follow you around as you walk. However, not one of these tools can tell a blind person where the door to a building is, one of the larger challenges faced by these people when in an unfamiliar location. To compensate, one of the ideas proposed is to not absolutely place a person on a map, but make a location relative to landmarks, such as buildings or statues, as a placement tool for a wayfinding device. Theoretically, a VI person could even use a cellphone to look for a sign that says "Entrance" instead of a fancy computer on a cane.
While progress is being made on these devices is significant, they have been unsuccessful in the market environment due to cost, maintenance issues, usability, and performance concerns. There is also an aesthetic aspect of these devices; while a cane is very indicative of blindness, what would it mean to see someone carrying around a camera, and thus being more careful while driving or walking around him? What if someone tries to steal it? How could a VI person maintain his or her equipment? These are all issues that companies involved in this field are trying to solve.
While it is not yet possible for medicine to restore sight to those who have lost it, the computers can provide a valuable substitute until it can. Thus, vision without sight is possible.
It's about technology doing something that one could call "miraculous." The blind members of our community may soon be able to use the internet as we all do, under a system dubbed "computer vision."
So how can you see without sight? This is no small task, as the eye and optic nerves are two of the most complex systems in the human body, an entity already riddled with mysteries. But when over 20 million people in the United States live with varying degrees of visual impairment (VI), the need to reduce the difficulty of everyday life for these people becomes evident. There are only a handful of computer vision systems and algorithms qualified to help improve vision, and although more are in development and testing, developers must remember the specific needs of the vision impaired population, and work with their needs in all aspects of design and development.
Because there are many degrees of vision impairment, from simply needing glasses to being completely blind, it is important to note that this article does not overgeneralize the needs of this population. However, there are some aspects of life that most vision impaired people need to improve, and one of these is mobility, or the ability to walk around a crowded city or town without getting hurt. It's equally important for the person to be aware of the direction in which he is moving, be it straight or slightly wavy, so he can adjust his path accordingly. The new computer techniques combine the organization of a computer algorithm with the sensitivity of an optical device similar to the human eye to alert someone to the presence of obstacles and dangers which may otherwise be overlooked. The information is converted into speech or tactile stimulus so the VI person can understand what's going on.
Mobility for the VI community usually means the white cane and/or the guide dog, and most of the advances made on these tools have been cameras on the cane to detect range and shape of objects. These devices are called electronic travel aids, or ETAs. They can operate using echolocation, as a bat would use to navigate, using three lasers to triangulate position, or, and this is a new idea, structured light hitting a computer, optical sensor. This last method is especially good at detecting steps and curbs, but not overhead obstructions that 13% of VI people collide with monthly.
According to a report by Loomis, et. al., "there are two main ways which a blind person can navigate with confidence in a possibly complex environment and find his or her way to a destination: piloting and path integration." This is along the lines of another mobility technique called wayfinding, which orients a VI person along a specified path.The piloting is obvious and similar to the ETA technique, but the path integration part is able to correct your path based on incremental movements, similar to how a GPS can follow you around as you walk. However, not one of these tools can tell a blind person where the door to a building is, one of the larger challenges faced by these people when in an unfamiliar location. To compensate, one of the ideas proposed is to not absolutely place a person on a map, but make a location relative to landmarks, such as buildings or statues, as a placement tool for a wayfinding device. Theoretically, a VI person could even use a cellphone to look for a sign that says "Entrance" instead of a fancy computer on a cane.
While progress is being made on these devices is significant, they have been unsuccessful in the market environment due to cost, maintenance issues, usability, and performance concerns. There is also an aesthetic aspect of these devices; while a cane is very indicative of blindness, what would it mean to see someone carrying around a camera, and thus being more careful while driving or walking around him? What if someone tries to steal it? How could a VI person maintain his or her equipment? These are all issues that companies involved in this field are trying to solve.
While it is not yet possible for medicine to restore sight to those who have lost it, the computers can provide a valuable substitute until it can. Thus, vision without sight is possible.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy (Virtual) Valentine's Day
Or you could just read some of these memes taken from Google or go to this website (isitvalentines.com) to get a good laugh.
Happy V Day everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)