Groundbreaking "virtual Braille" research applies virtual
reality and advanced haptics
REDMOND,
Wash., April 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To
investigate the use of advanced touch simulation for improving
accessibility to digital information, the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, and National Eye
Institute have awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer
program grant to a research team from Old
Dominion University (ODU), HaptX, and Georgia Institute of Technology to investigate
"Glove-based Tactile Streaming of Braille Characters and Digital
Images for the Visually Impaired."
The team aims to transform the ways in which visually impaired
individuals explore and navigate virtual environments. Wearing
HaptX Gloves, users will experience precise tactile interaction
with streaming digital images and objects. The ODU-led team will
study feasibility and develop proof of concept, assess commercial
potential, and build a foundation for a Phase II
prototype.
"Our research team will explore solutions that can significantly
improve digital experiences for visually impaired people," said
HaptX Founder and CEO Jake Rubin.
"By unlocking access to the vast array of content previously
inaccessible to people with limited sight, this project intends to
make digital inclusivity a tangible reality."
Co-principal investigators Dr. Michel Audette, PhD, Associate Professor,
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at ODU Batten
College of Engineering and Technology, and HaptX Director of
R&D Michael Eichermueller, lead
the study, supported by Dr. Bruce
Walker, PhD, of Georgia Tech's
Sonification Lab.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, the
challenge of visual impairment remains a significant global public
health issue. According to the World Health Organization, nearly
300 million people worldwide live with significant visual
impairments. In the United States
alone, nearly 20 million individuals navigate the daily realities
of low vision and blindness, confronting barriers to education,
employment, and quality of life.
"This project offers an altruistic aspect in crafting a
technical solution that can make a difference in the integration
and instruction of the Visually Impaired community," Dr. Audette
said. "At the same time, computer-assisted medicine is undergoing
an algorithmic revolution in the form of deep neural networks and
freely available source code and data repositories. New
collaborations arise serendipitously and lead to projects that none
of us could have foreseen. This is true of my relationship with
HaptX; my original interest involved a proposal on obstetrics
simulation based on their haptic glove. This new 'VR for VI'
project captivated us."
Dr. Bruce Walker currently leads
a project using HaptX Gloves for submarine safety training at
Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab. He
will support the "virtual Braille" UI design and auditory displays.
He said, "Using tactile perception to display numbers and text has
been a global standard ever since Louis Braille's invention 200
years ago. There have been few advances since. This new
collaboration between HaptX, ODU, and Georgia
Tech will bring dynamic Braille and much more to blind and
low-vision users. The Georgia Tech Sonification Lab is proud to be
part of its rigorous validation."
This project will implement HaptX's proprietary, high-fidelity
microfluidic actuation for precise fingertip rendering of Braille
content, ODU's software algorithms for mapping lexical and
graphical elements to haptic rendering of Braille and
bas-relief-converted, Deep Neural Network-segmented digital images,
and validation studies conducted at Georgia
Tech. The concept extends to tactile perception of graphical
data: charts, figures, even road maps and topographic maps.
By bridging the accessibility gap for the visually impaired, the
ODU-HaptX-Georgia Tech project opens new realms of engagement with
spatial computing environments. Potential applications promise to
unlock educational and employment opportunities, fostering greater
independence and societal integration for millions of people around
the world.
About HaptX: HaptX builds technology that simulates
touch sensation with unprecedented realism for use in virtual
reality and robotics. The new HaptX Gloves G1 system leverages
advances in materials science and manufacturing to deliver advanced
performance in the first haptic gloves that fit like conventional
work gloves. HaptX is headquartered in Redmond, WA, with offices in San Luis Obispo,
CA. Contact media@haptx.com or visit haptx.com to experience
the new HaptX Gloves G1.
Contact: Linda Jacobson,
Marketing Director, 376481@email4pr.com, 805-888-4278
x122
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/old-dominion-university-haptx-and-georgia-tech-win-grant-award-for-project-to-advance-vr-for-vision-impaired-302124640.html
SOURCE HaptX, Inc.