Human Computer Interface for Victims using FPGA

Visually impaired people face many challenges in the society; particularly students with visual impairments face unique challenges in the education environment. They struggle a lot to access the information, so to resolve this obstacle in reading and to allow the visually impaired students to fully access and participate in the curriculum with the greatest possible level of independence, a Braille transliteration system using VLSI is designed. Here Braille input is given to FPGA Virtex-4 kit via Braille keyboard. The Braille language is converted into English language by decoding logic in VHDL/Verilog and then the corresponding alphabet letter is converted into speech signal with the help of the algorithm. Speaker is used for the voice output. This project allows the visually impaired people to get literate also the person can get a conformation about what is being typed, every time that character is being pressed, this prevents the occurrence of mistakes

A Real Time Indoor Navigation and Monitoring System for Firefighters and Visually Impaired

ABSTRACT A REAL TIME INDOOR NAVIGATION AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED MAY 2011 SIDDHESH RAJAN GANDHI M.S. E.C.E, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Aura Ganz There has been a widespread growth of technology in almost every facet of day to day life. But there are still important application areas in which technology advancements have not been implemented in a cost effective and user friendly manner. Such applications which we will address in this proposal include: 1) indoor localization and navigation of firefighters during rescue operations and 2) indoor localization and navigation for the blind and visually impaired population. Firefighting is a dangerous job to perform as there can be several unexpected hazards while rescuing victims. Since the firefighters do not have any knowledge about the internal structure of the fire ridden building, they will not be able to find the location of the EXIT door, a fact that can prove to be fatal. We introduce an indoor location tracking and navigation system (FIREGUIDE) using RFID technology integrated with augmented reality. FIREGUIDE assists the firefighters to find the nearest exit location by providing the navigation instructions to the exits as well as an Augmented Reality view of the location and direction of the exits. The system also presents the Incident Commander the current firefighter’s location superimposed on a map of the building floor. We envision that the FIREGUIDE system will save a significant number of firefighters and victims’ lives. Blind or visually impaired people find it difficult to navigate independently in both outdoor and indoor environments. The outdoor navigation problem can be solved by using systems that have GPS support. But indoor navigation systems for the blind or visually impaired are still a challenge to conquer, given the requirements of low cost and user friendly operation. In order to enhance the perception of indoor and unfamiliar environments for the blind and visually-impaired, as well as to aid in their navigation through such environments, we propose a novel approach that provides context–aware navigation services. INSIGHT uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), and tagged spaces (audio landmarks), enabling a ubiquitous computing system with contextual awareness of its users while providing them persistent and context-aware information. We present INSIGHT system that supports a number of unique features such as: a) Low deployment and maintenance cost; b) Scalability, i.e. we can deploy the system in very large buildings; c) An on-demand system that does not overwhelm the user, as it offers small amounts of information on demand; and d) Portability and ease-of-use, i.e., the custom handheld device carried by the user is compact and instructions are received audibly

Designing an interactive exhibitor for assisting blind and visually impaired visitors in tactile exploration of original museum pieces

Blind and visually impaired visitors experience a lot of constraints when visiting museums exhibitions, giving the ocular centricity of these institutions, the lack of cognitive, physical and sensorial access to exhibits or replicas, increased by the inaccessibility to use the digital media technologies designed to provide different experiences, among other constraints. This paper aims to present the design and implementation of an exhibitor to communicate original museum samples to blind and visually impaired patrons, without the need to be replicated, that interactively "tell stories about their lives" whenever picked up. Tests performed with 13 partially sighted and blind participants at the main exhibition museum space, demonstrated very positive evaluations regarding pragmatic and hedonic qualities of the interaction, a positive capacity to mentally conceptualize the exhibits according to the audio descriptions, and how to enhance the experience of using more exhibitors like this one during a future visit to the museum.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

BlueEyes: using beacon and smart phone for visually impaired / blind people

There are currently few options for navigational aids for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) in large indoor and outdoor spaces. Such indoor and outdoor spaces can be difficult to navigate even for the general sighted population if they are disoriented due to unfamiliarity or other reasons. This paper presents an indoor wayfinding system called GuideBeacon for the blind, visually impaired, and disoriented (BVID) that assists people in navigating between any two points within indoor environments. The GuideBeacon system allows users equipped with smartphones to interact with low cost Bluetooth-based beacons deployed strategically within the indoor space of interest to navigate their surroundings. This paper describes the technical challenges faced in designing such a system, the design decisions made in building the current version of the GuideBeacon system, the solutions developed to meet the technical challenges, and results from the evaluation of the system. Results presented in this paper obtained from field testing GuideBeacon with BVI and sighted participants suggests that it can be used by the BVID for navigation in large indoor spaces independently and effectively. This paper presents novel structure for visually impaired/blind people using beacon and smart phone. The proposed structure is consisted of three parts. In the first part esp8266 module due to ultra-low power consumption, in the second part configurator application to configure these beacon and last part is mobile application to detect these beacons. The aim is to help visually impaired/blind people to knowledge the environment in which they live by. Three tests applied in real environment. The results show good performance for the suggested scheme help the visually impaired/blind people reach the desired devices location successfully without error. In conclusion, beacon and smart phone were a valid and reliable method to help the visually impaired/blind people to know the location of devices that are nearest from him in indoor and outdoor environment

Digital technologies applied to the accessible management of museums. The first experiments carried out at the Museum of Oriental Art of Turin

[EN] The proposed research focuses on the museum context of the city of Turin (Italy), within an ongoing framework agreement between the Politecnico di Torino and the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO). It aims at the construction of a model for the management of the workflow that includes the digital survey, the 3D virtual modelling and the digital fabrication of the tactile models of the artworks and the exhibition spaces. The paper starts with an overview on the methods of conservation and dissemination of cultural and architectural heritage, on the accessibility of museums and on tactile perception and graphics. It presents the first outcomes of the designed workflow with a special focus on the digital fabrication experiments on the vaulted system of the atrium of Palazzo Mazzonis (MAO home). The founding idea is that tactile exploration of artifacts helps the visitor engagement, making the museum experience more educationally incisive and more inclusive, in a “Design for All” perspective.[ES] La investigación propuesta se centra en el contexto museístico de la ciudad de Turín (Italia), dentro de un acuerdo marco en curso entre el Politecnico di Torino y el Museo de Arte Oriental (MAO). Su objetivo es la construcción de un modelo para la gestión del flujo de trabajo que parte de la digitalización de las obras de arte y de los espacios y termina con la realización de modelos táctiles. El artículo comienza con una visión general sobre los métodos de conservación y difusión del patrimonio cultural y arquitectónico sobre la percepción y los gráficos táctiles. Presenta los primeros resultados del flujo de trabajo diseñado, centrándose especialmente en los experimentos de fabricación digital en el sistema abovedado del atrio del Palazzo Mazzonis (casa del MAO). La idea básica es que la exploración táctil de los artefactos ayuda a la participación del visitante, haciendo que la experiencia del museo sea más incisiva desde el punto de vista educativo y más inclusiva, en una perspectiva de “Diseño para todos”.This research is carried out within the framework of an agreement between the Museo d’Arte Orientale and the Politecnico di Torino. I would like to thank Dr Marco Guglielminotti Trivel, Director of the Museum, Dr Claudia Ramasso, museum curator and Mrs Patrizia Bosio, from the Technical and Security Office for having favored the current research. In addition, I would like to thank Dr Franco Lepore Disability Manager of the Municipality of Turin, and Arch. Rocco Rolli, founder of Tactile Vision Onlus, for their willingness to help me in the management of the model testing phase that will take place soon.Ronco, F. (2021). Digital technologies applied to the accessible management of museums. The first experiments carried out at the Museum of Oriental Art of Turin. EGE Revista de Expresión Gráfica en la Edificación. 0(14):49-61. https://doi.org/10.4995/ege.2021.15661OJS4961014Amoruso, G. 2019. "UID PhD Summer School. Rilievo del patrimonio culturale e rappresentazione inclusiva". Diségno, n. 4, p. 261-264. ISSN 2533-2899Anagnostakis, G., Antoniou, M., Kardamitsi, E., Sachinidis, T., Koutsabasis, P., Stavrakis, S., Vosinakis, M., Zissis, D. 2016. "Accessible museum collections for the visually impaired: combining tactile exploration, audio descriptions and mobile gestures". In Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services Adjunct (MobileHCI '16). New York: Association for Computing Machinery, p. 1021-1025. https://doi.org/10.1145/2957265.2963118Balletti, C., Ballarin, M. 2019. "An Application of Integrated 3D Technologies for Replicas in Cultural Heritage". ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf., n. 8, p. 285-313. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi8060285Barberà Giné, A. 2018. "Fotogrametría para la conservación-restauración de bienes culturales". Unicum, n. 17, p. 153-162. ISSN: 1579-3613.Bo, P., Pottmann, H., Kilian, M., Wang, W., Wallner, J. 2011. "Circular arc structures". ACM Trans. Graph., vol. 30, n. 4, p. 101:1-101:11. ISSN 0730-0301. https://doi.org/10.1145/2010324.1964996Brie, M., Morice, J. C. 1996. "Il disegno in rilievo: oggetto di conoscenza". XY, Dimensioni del Disegno, n. 26, p. 38-51.Bruno, A., Ricca, F. 2010. Il Museo d'Arte Orientale MAO. Torino: Allemandi, p. 3-24. ISBN 978-88-422-1699-5.Bruno, Ivana. 2019. "Comunicazione e accessibilità culturale. L'esperienza di Museo Facile". Il capitale culturale, n. 20, p. 297-325. http://dx.doi.org/10.13138/2039-2362/2068.Candling, F. 2010. Art, Museums and Touch. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719079337Clini, P., Frapiccini, N., Quattrini, R., Nespeca, R. 2018. "Toccare l'arte e guardare con altri occhi. Una via digitale per la rinascita dei musei archeologici nell'epoca della riproducibilità dell'opera d'arte". In Luigini, Alessandro and Panciroli, Chiara eds. Ambienti digitali per l'educazione all'arte e al patrimonio. Milano: FrancoAngeli s.r.l., p. 97-113. ISBN 9788891773333. http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/25364 [accessed on 2020/05/04].D'Agnano, F., Balletti, C., Guerra, F., Vernier, P.. 2015. "Tooteko: A case study of augmented reality for an accessible cultural heritage. Digitization, 3D printing and sensors for an audio-tactile experience". International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol. 5W4, p. 207-213. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-5-W4-207-2015De Rubertis, R. (ed.) 1996. "Il disegno oscuro". XY Dimensioni del Disegno, n. 26Díaz Gómez, F., Jiménez,Peiró J., Barreda Benavent, A., Asensi Recuenco, B., Hervás Juan, J. 2015. " Modelado 3D para la generación de patrimonio virtual. 3D modeling for the generation of virtual heritage". Virtual Archaeology Review, vol. 6, no 12, p. 29-37. ISSN 1989-9947. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2015.4150Empler, T. 1996. Il "disegno in rilievo negli Istituti di Ricerca italiani e francesi". XY, Dimensioni del Disegno, n. 26, p. 5-7.Empler, T. 2013. "Universal Design: ruolo del Disegno e Rilievo". Disegnare. Idee Immagini, n. 46, p. 52-63. ISBN 978-88-492-1835-0.Empler, T., Fusinetti, A. 2019. "Rappresentazione visuo-tattile: comunicazione tattile per i disabili visivi". In Belardi, Paolo ed. UID per il disegno:2019. Riflessioni: l'arte del disegno/ il disegno dell'arte. Roma : Gangemi, p 1563-1572. ISBN 978-88-492-3762-7. https://www.torrossa.com/it/resources/an/4557553 [accessed on 2020/05/04].García Lucerga, M. A. 1993. El acceso de las personas deficientes visuales al mundo de los museos. Madrid: Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, Sección de Cultura D.L. ISBN 84-87277-25-X. https://portal.once.es/bibliotecas/fondo-bibliografico-discapacidad-visual [accessed on 2020/05/04].Levi, F., Rolli, R. 1994. Disegnare per le mani. Manuale di disegno in rilievo. Torino: Silvio Zamorani Editore. ISBN: 9788871580388.Montella, M., Petraroia, P., Manacorda, Daniele, Di Macco, Michela. 2016. In Feliciati, Pierluigi, ed. La valorizzazione dell'eredità culturale in Italia, Atti del Convegno (Macerata 5-6 novembre 2015), Supplemento, n. 5. Macerata: eum edizioni, p. 13-36. ISBN 978-88-6056-485-6.Nasini, L., Isawi, H. 2006. Una geometria per comprendere lo spazio senza percepirlo visivamente. Roma: Officina Edizioni. ISBN: 9788860490070.Pérez de Andrés, C., Ramos Fuentes, A. 1994. Museos abiertos a todos los sentidos : acoger mejor a las personas minusválidas. Salamanca: Ministerio de Cultura, Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, Sección de Cultura 1994. ISBN 84-87277-40-3. https://portal.once.es/bibliotecas/fondo-bibliografico-discapacidad-visual [accessed on 2020/05/04].Petrelli, D., Ciolfi, L., Van DiJk, D., Horneker, E., Not, E., Schmidt A. 2013. "Integrating material and digital: A new way for cultural heritage". Interactions: new visions of human-computer, n. 20, p. 58-63. https://doi.org/10.1145/2486227.2486239Photoworks: 3D Photo Printing Products. URL: https://www.3dphotoworks.com/product [accessed on 2020/05/04].Reichinger, A., Neumüller, M., Rist, F., Maierhofer, S., Purgathofer, W. 2012. "Computer-Aided Design of Tactile Models. Taxonomy and Case Studies". In Miesenberger, Klaus et al. eds. ICCHP 2012, Part II, LNCS 7383, p. 497-504. ISBN 978-3-642-31533-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31534-3_73Reichinger, A., Fuhrmann, A., Maierhofer, S., Purgathofer, W. 2016. "Gesture-Based Interactive Audio Guide on Tactile Reliefs". In Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16). New York: Association for Computing Machinery, p. 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1145/2982142.2982176Samaroudi, M., Echavarria, K.R., Rodriguez, Song, R., Evans, R. 2017. "The Fabricated Diorama: Tactile Relief and Context-aware Technology for Visually Impaired Audiences". In Proceedings of the Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (GCH '17). Goslar: Eurographics Association, p 201-206. https://doi.org/10.2312/gch.20171315.Sdegno, A. 2018. "Rappresentare l'opera d'arte con tecnologie digitali: dalla realtà aumentata alle esperienze tattili". In Luigini, Alessandro and Panciroli, Chiara eds. Ambienti digitali per l'educazione all'arte e al patrimonio. Milano: FrancoAngeli s.r.l., p. 257-272. ISBN 9788891773333Secchi, L. 2018. "Toccare con gli occhi e vedere con le mani. Funzioni cognitive e conoscitive dell'educazione estetica". Ocula, vol.19, n.19, p. 15-31. https://doi.org/10.12977/ocula2018-9Shi, L., Zelzer, I., Feng, C., Azenkot, S. 2016. "Tickers and Talker: An Accessible Labeling Toolkit for 3D Printed Models". In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '16). New York: Association for Computing Machinery, p. 4896-4907. https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858507Spallone, R., Vitali, M. 2017. Star-shaped and Planterian Vaults in the Baroque Atria of Turin. Ariccia: Aracne. ISBN 978-88-255-0472-9Wilson, P. F., Stott, J., Warnett, J. M., Attridge, A., Smith, M. P., Williams, M. A. 2017. "Evaluation of touchable 3D-printed replicas in museums". Curator. The Museum Journal, vol. 60, n. 4, p. 445-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.1224

Virtual Reality for the Visually Impaired

This thesis aims to illuminate and describe how there are problems with the development of virtual reality regarding visually impaired people. After discussing the reasons how and why this is a problem, this thesis will provide some possible solutions to develop virtual reality into a more user accessible technology, specifically for the visually impaired. As the popularity of virtual reality increases in digital culture, especially with Facebook announcing their development of Metaverse, there is a need for a future virtual reality environment that everyone can use. And it is in these early stages of development, that the need to address the problem of inaccessibility arises. As virtual reality is a relatively new medium in digital culture, the research on its use by visually impaired people has significant gaps. And as relatively few researchers are exploring this topic, my research will hopefully lead to more activity in this important area. Therefore, my research questions aim to address the current limitations of virtual reality, filling in some of the most significant gaps in this research area. My thesis will do this by conducting interviews and surveys to gather data that can further support and identify the crucial limitations of the visually impaired experience while trying to use virtual reality technology. The findings in this thesis will further address the problem, creating a possible solution and emphasizing the importance of user accessibility for the visually impaired in the future development of virtual reality. If digital companies and developers address this problem now, we can have a future where visually impaired people are treated more equally, with technologies developed specifically for them to experience virtual worlds.Master's Thesis in Digital CultureDIKULT350MAHF-DIKU

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework - Application of Data Science in Inclusive Education

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Data ScienceBeing a disabled student the author faced higher education with a handicap which as experience studying during COVID 19 confinement periods matched the findings in recent research about the importance of digital accessibility through more e-learning intensive academic experiences. Narrative and systematic literature reviews enabled providing context in World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, legal and standards framework and information technology and communication state-of-the art. Assessing Portuguese higher education institutions’ web sites alerted to the fact that only outlying institutions implemented near perfect, accessibility-wise, websites. Therefore a gap was identified in how accessible the Portuguese higher education websites are, the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, and even the accessibility minimum legal requirements for digital products and the services provided by public or publicly funded organizations. Having identified a problem in society and exploring the scientific base of knowledge for context and state of the art was a first stage in the Design Science Research methodology, to which followed development and validation cycles of an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. The framework blends various Data Science study fields contributions with accessibility guidelines compliant interface design and content upload accessibility compliance assessment. Validation was provided by a focus group whose inputs were considered for the version presented in this dissertation. Not being the purpose of the research to deliver a complete implementation of the framework and lacking consistent data to put all the modules interacting with each other, the most relevant modules were tested with open data as proof of concept. The rigor cycle of DSR started with the inclusion of the previous thesis on Atlântica University Institute Scientific Repository and is to be completed with the publication of this thesis and the already started PhD’s findings in relevant journals and conferences

O papel da quarta revolução industrial no turismo acessível: estudo e conceptualização de uma aplicação web

The world is experiencing the beginning of the fourth Industrial Revolution, responsible for implementing a new digitalization era. This revolution originated in manufacturing, with industry 4.0 bringing a new reality to organizations. However, the scope of this new technological revolution is vast, and other sectors can benefit from the new digital era. In the Services Industry, tourism is an example of that, as Tourism 4.0 is the result of the impact of the fourth industrial revolution in this sector. Tourism 4.0 is the result of the impact of the fourth industrial revolution in tourism. An interesting challenge that this technological era brings to tourism is the social inclusion of people with disabilities. The accessible tourism market reveals huge potential, but despite this, this market is still largely ignored. Several technologies that promoted the fourth industrial revolution present capabilities to promote accessible tourism by improving tourism’s access conditions to people with disabilities. The present work developed a study in accessible tourism, understanding the main requirements for this market, and conceptualizing a Web application, for promoting accessibility in tourism. This Web application work as a mediator between the principal stakeholders. To gather requirements for the system, a triangulation matrix was elaborated using three methodological approaches: i) Literature Review; ii) website accessibility analysis of hotels located in the central region of Portugal; and iii) content analysis of some concurrent platforms. The requirements triangulation matrix allowed the identification of what requirements are crucial for the system success, which were used to conceptualize the solution with UML notation. This work intends to demonstrate the technological impacts of the fourth industrial revolution on society, especially on the promotion of a more accessible tourismO mundo encontra-se hoje no início da quarta revolução industrial, responsável pela promoção de uma nova era caracterizada pela digitalização. Apesar desta revolução ter surgido no setor industrial, com o conceito de Indústria 4.0, a sua aplicação é muito mais vasta, existindo outros sectores que podem igualmente beneficiar desta nova era tecnológica. O setor dos serviços, nomeadamente o Turismo, é um exemplo disso, e o conceito de Turismo 4.0 é o resultado do impacto da quarta revolução industrial nesse setor. Um desafio interessante que esta nova era tecnológica traz para o turismo é o da inclusão social, promovendo o turismo para todos. De facto, o mercado do turismo acessível, apesar de ter imenso potencial, tem sido relegado no contexto dos negócios. Por outro lado, o potencial tecnológico associado a esta nova revolução industrial sugere uma grande capacidade na promoção do turismo acessível, na medida em que podem facilitar as condições de acesso ao turismo, por parte de pessoas com algum tipo de incapacidade e ou necessidade especial. O presente trabalho visa conduzir um estudo na área do turismo acessível, por forma compreender os principais requisitos deste tipo de mercado e, consequentemente, conceptualizar uma aplicação Web, com o propósito de promover a acessibilidade no turismo, funcionando como um mediador de informação entre os principais stakeholders. Para a obtenção dos requisitos do sistema foi feita: i) uma revisão da literatura; ii) um estudo que avalia a acessibilidade dos websites dos hotéis da zona centro de Portugal, e, ainda iii) um estudo com base em análise de conteúdo de algumas plataformas potencialmente concorrentes. Os resultados são apresentados na forma de uma matriz de triangulação, onde é possível identificar a fonte dos requisitos identificados, sendo posteriormente utilizados para conceptualizar a solução proposta com recurso à notação UML. Pretende-se com este trabalho demonstrar o potencial e o efeito que as tecnologias existentes na era designada por quarta revolução industrial podem ter na sociedade, nomeadamente na promoção de um turismo para todosMestrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industria