EYE CANE AIDS NAVIGATIONAL ABILITIES FOR BLIND
White Canes provide
low-tech assistance to the visually impaired, but some blind people object to
their use because they are cumbersome, fail to detect elevated obstacles, or
require long training periods to master. Electronic travel aids (ETAs) have the
potential to improve navigation for the blind, but early versions had
disadvantages that limited widespread adoption. A new ETA, the
"EyeCane," developed by a team of researchers at The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, expands the world of its users, allowing them to
better estimate distance, navigate their environment, and avoid obstacles,
according to a new study published inRestorative Neurology and
Neuroscience.
The EyeCane was
designed to augment, or possibly in the more distant future, replace the
traditional White Cane by adding information at greater distances (5 meters)
and more angles, and most importantly by eliminating the need for contacts
between the cane and the user's surroundings [which makes its use difficult] in
cluttered or indoor environments," says Amir Amedi, PhD, Associate
Professor of Medical Neurobiology at The Israel-Canada Institute for Medical
Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The EyeCane
translates point-distance information into auditory and tactile cues. The
device is able to provide the user with distance information simultaneously
from two different directions: directly ahead for long distance perception and
detection of waist-height obstacles and pointing downward at a 45° angle for
ground-level assessment. The user scans a target with the device, the device
emits a narrow beam with high spatial resolution toward the target, the beam
hits the target and is returned to the device, and the device calculates the
distance and translates it for the user interface. The user learns intuitively
within a few minutes to decode the distance to the object via sound frequencies
and/or vibration amplitudes.
Recent improvements
have streamlined the device so its size is 4 x 6 x 12 centimeters with a weight
of less than 100 grams. "This enables it to be easily held and pointed at
different targets, while increasing battery life," says Prof. Amedi.
The authors
conducted a series of experiments to evaluate the usefulness of the device for
both blind and blindfolded sighted individuals. The aim of the first experiment
was to see if the device could help in distance estimation. After less than
five minutes of training, both blind and blindfolded individuals were able to
estimate distance successfully almost 70% of the time, and the success rate
surpassed 80% for two of the three blind participants. "It was amazing
seeing how this additional distance changed their perception of their
environment," notes Shachar Maidenbaum, one of the researchers on Prof.
Amedi's team. "One user described it as if her hand was suddenly on the
far side of the room, expanding her world."
A second experiment
looked at whether the EyeCane could help individuals navigate an unfamiliar
corridor by measuring the number of contacts with the walls. Those using a
White Cane made an average of 28.2 contacts with the wall, compared to three
contacts with the EyeCane -- a statistically significant tenfold reduction. A
third experiment demonstrated that the EyeCane also helped users avoid chairs and
other naturally occurring obstacles placed randomly in the surroundings.
"One of the key
results we show here is that even after less than five minutes of training,
participants were able to complete the tasks successfully," says Prof.
Amedi. "This short training requirement is very significant, as it make
the device much more user friendly. Every one of our blind users wanted to take
the device home with them after the experiment, and felt they could immediately
contribute to their everyday lives," adds Maidenbaum.
The Amedi lab is
also involved in other projects for helping people who are blind. In another
recent publication in Restorative Neurology and
Neuroscience they
introduced the EyeMusic, which offers much more information, but requires more
intensive training. "We see the two technologies as complementar,y"
says Prof. Amedi. "You would use the EyeMusic to recognize landmarks or an
object and use the EyeCane to get to it safely while avoiding collisions."
Comments
Post a Comment