This paper presents our recent development on a portable and refreshable text reading and sensory substitution system for the blind or visually impaired (BVI), called Finger-eye. The system mainly consists of an opto-text processing unit and a compact electro-tactile based display that can deliver text-related electrical signals to the fingertip skin through a wearable and Braille-dot patterned electrode array and thus delivers the electro-stimulation based Braille touch sensations to the fingertip. To achieve the goal of aiding BVI to read any text not written in Braille through this portable system, in this work, a Rapid Optical Character Recognition (R-OCR) method is firstly developed for real-time processing text information based on a Fisheye imaging device mounted at the finger-wearable electro-tactile display. This allows real-time translation of printed text to electro-Braille along with natural movement of user's fingertip as if reading any Braille display or book. More importantly, an electro-tactile neuro-stimulation feedback mechanism is proposed and incorporated with the R-OCR method, which facilitates a new opto-electrotactile feedback based text line tracking control approach that enables text line following by user fingertip during reading. Multiple experiments were designed and conducted to test the ability of blindfolded participants to read through and follow the text line based on the opto-electrotactile-feedback method. The experiments show that as the result of the opto-electrotactile-feedback, the users were able to maintain their fingertip within a $2mm$ distance of the text while scanning a text line. This research is a significant step to aid the BVI users with a portable means to translate and follow to read any printed text to Braille, whether in the digital realm or physically, on any surface.
翻译:本文展示了我们最近对盲人或视力受损者(BVI)的可移动和可更新的文本读取和感官替代系统(BVI)的最新发展,称为“Fing-eye ” 。该系统主要包括一个透视文本处理器和一个基于电触力的紧凑电触觉显示器的显示器,它能通过一个可磨损和盲文模式式电极阵列向手指皮肤皮肤提供与文本相关的电子信号,从而向手指提供基于盲文的触摸感。为了实现帮助BVI通过这个可移动系统阅读任何非盲文的文本(BVI)的任何文本读取和感官替代系统的目标,在本工作中,快速光学字符识别(R-OCR)方法首先为实时处理文本信息开发了一个基于在手指-可磨损电子触动显示器显示器显示器的文本实时翻译信号信号设备,在读取的文本直径直线上,通过智能-直径直径操作器操作者在读取的文本分析器操作器操作过程中,通过新的读取工具,使新的直路路路的用户能够对结果进行。在智能- 方向操作操作操作操作操作操作操作操作操作工具的文本的文本的文本测试过程中,在进行一个新的文本测试中,在读法上,在操作操作中,在操作操作中,在读文本操作中进行一个新的文本的文本的文本的反向方向上,在操作操作中进行一个新的文本的文字-直路路。