Projects

Upper Depth Limit Across Visual Field

Stereopsis is important for tasks of daily living such as eye-hand coordination. It is best in central vision but is also mediated by the periphery. Previously we have shown that individuals with central-field loss who have residual stereopsis in the periphery perform better at an eye-hand-coordination task. Here we sought to determine what sets the limit of stereopsis, defined as the largest disparity that supports the sustained appearance of depth, in the near periphery in healthy individuals.

Using VR to Help Train Visually Impaired Users to Aim a Camera

People with visual impairments increasingly rely on camera-enabled smartphone apps for tasks like photography, navigation, and text recognition. Despite the growing use of these applications, precise camera aiming remains a significant challenge. This project explores the impact of virtual reality (VR) exploration in the context of learning to use a camera-based app. So far we have studied this approach in the context of training a visually impaired person to use walk-light detector app at traffic intersections.

Vestibular Function in AMD: Verticality Perception

To accurately perceive one’s own state and that of the surrounding environment, visual, vestibular and somatosensory inputs must be appropriately weighted and dynamically reweighted depending on the environment and task difficulty, as well as signal reliability (and availability). Aging is associated with an increase on visual dependence (a greater weighting of visual information). In this project we investigate how loss of visual information due to AMD affects this reweighting process and if an increase in visual dependence may be maladaptive in AMD.

Video-Based Speech Enhancement for Persons with Hearing and Vision Loss

Observing the visual cues from a speaker such as the shape of the lips and facial expression can greatly improve the speech comprehension capabilities of a person with hearing loss. However, concurrent vision loss can lead to a significant loss in speech perception. We propose developing a prototype device that utilizes a video camera in addition to audio input to enhance the speech signal from a target speaker in everyday situations.

Visual-Impairment Research Agenda for Description (VIRAD)

A systematic road map charting gaps in the quantitative evidence about how description can and should be used to improve video accessibility for the blind.

The Smith-Kettlewell Video Description Research and Development Center is proud to be working with the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) to develop the Visual-Impairment Research Agenda for Description (VIRAD). While many focus groups, advisory panels, and expert practitioners have contributed to the accumulation of anecdotal evidence to guide the creation and delivery of description, there remains a surprising dearth of…

Wearabraille

WearaBraille is a research project into wearable computing, and the use of MEMS sensors as novel input technology to mobile devices such as laptops, PDAs and smartphones. Our prototype device functions much like a Braille keyboard, but instead of buttons for each finger to press, there are accelerometers on the back of each finger, near the knuckles (keeping the palms and finger tips free). When a finger taps on a table top or other firm surface, the WearaBraille knows that the Braille dot associated with that finger is part of the current character. By tapping multiple fingers simultaneously…

Workshop Series on Computer Vision and Sensor-Enabled Assistive Technology for Visual Impairment

Recent workshop:

Workshop on Environmental Sensing Technologies for Visual Impairment (ESTVI '13 in San Francisco)

ESTVI '13 focused on emerging technologies capable of sensing environmental features for applications in access technologies for persons with visual impairment, including low vision and blindness. The development of environmental sensing technologies (ESTs) and the study of their potential to support the activities of daily living for visually impaired persons is progressing at a rapid pace, and engages many disparate research fields, including computer vision, wearable sensors…