Smartdevices development for visual impairment and colour vision deficiency

The research concerns with the development of an app-based system to assist those with vision impairment to better interact with mobile phones and computers achieving maximum advantages. In particular, the system helps to detect colour deficiency and can automatically adjust view screens to increase contrast and arrive at optimal view result. Preliminary results when asking observers to evaluate the system demonstrate the advantages of the developed software system

Language and cognitive profiles of Norwegian 8-year-olds

The main aim of this study was to separate transient between language problems from problems caused by SLI and/or dyslexia among bilingual 8-year olds having Norwegian as their second language (L2). The sample in the study was 20 bilingual-3rd grade school children from a larger Norwegian city. We had a control group of 42 monolingual children, from a previous study. Assessment tools were based on both linguistic (L2) skills and neurocognitive factors, according to the three levels (symptomatic, cognitive and biological) of the differential diagnosis model by Morton and Frith. We hypothesized that bilingual children with language impairment can be identified by Morton and Frith’s differential diagnostic model. We thus aimed to explore whether the differential diagnosing model, can serve as a method in defining language impairment in bilingual children. We also wished to see if bilingual participants exhibit some cognitive advantages over their monolingual counterparts. We hypothesized that monolinguals will outperform bilinguals on language abilities, but no group differences were expected with respect to neurocognitive abilities. As predicted our findings showed poor bilingual performances in language tests compared to monolingual performances. The neurocognitive tests showed bilingual strengths in visual and auditory processing compared to the L1 group. Findings from our study clinically imply that the differential diagnostic model can be used to identify bilingual children at risk of having language impairment and/ or dyslexia, from children with between language problems.Hovedformålet med denne studien var å kunne skille mellom språkvansker som skyldes en forbigående mellomspråklig vanske, og vansker som skyldes SLI og /eller dysleksi hos tospråklige 8 -åringer med Norsk som andrespråk. Utvalget i studien var 20 tospråklige 3.-klassinger fra en større norsk by. Vi hadde en kontrollgruppe på 42 enspråklige barn, fra en tidligere studie. Testbatteriet var basert på både språklige (L2) ferdigheter og nevrokognitive faktorer, i henhold til de tre nivåene (symptomatisk, kognitivt og biologisk) hentet fra den differensialdiagnostiske modellen til Morton og Frith. Vår hypotese var at tospråklige barn med språkvansker kan identifiseres av Morton og Frith sin modell for differensialdiagnostisering. Vi ønsket også å se om tospråklige barn har noen nevrokognitive fordeler i forhold til den enspråklige gruppen. Vår hypotese var at enspråklige vil ha bedre resultat på de språklige testene i forhold til L2-gruppen, men det var ikke forventet noen forskjeller på gruppene med hensyn til nevrokognitive evner. Som ventet, viste funnene dårligere resultat på språktestene for L2 -gruppen i forhold til den enspråklige gruppen. De kognitive testene viste at de tospråklige hadde bedre resultat på de testene som omhandlet visuelle og auditive evner sammenlignet med L1-gruppen. Resultatene fra studien viser at det er mulig å bruke den differensialdiagnostiske modellen til å identifisere tospråklige barn som er i risikosone for å ha språkvansker og/eller dysleksi og å skille mellom dem og de som har en mellomspråklig vanske.Masteroppgave i logopediLOGO345MAPS-LOG0

Nectar: Multi-user Spatial Augmented Reality for everyone: Three live demonstrations of educative applications

International audienceIn this demonstration we showcase a new spatial augmented reality device (interactive projection) with three applications: education and experimentation of color models, map exploration for visually impaired people and scientific vulgarization of machine learning. The first exhibition is an interactive exploration about the nature of light. Visitors can experiment with additive subtractive color models. We engage them with questions, and they have to reply using cards to find out answers. This exhibit is suitable for children. The second exhibition is about map exploration and creation for Visually Impaired Persons (VIP). VIP generally use tactile maps with braille to learn about an unknown environment. However, these maps are not accessible to the 80% of VIP who don't read braille. Our prototype augments raised-line maps with audio output. The third exhibition is destined to be used for scientific outreach. It enables the creation of artificial neural networks (ANN) using tangible interfaces. Neurons are represented by laser-cut diamond shaped tokens, and the data to learn is printed on cards. The ANN learns to differentiate shapes, and the whole learning process is made visible and interactive. These three applications demonstrate the capabilities of our hardware and software development kit in different scenarios. At ReVo, each demonstration will have its own setup and interactive space

Exploring clinical phenotypes of open-angle glaucoma and their significance in practice

There are several enduring questions regarding the differentiation of clinical phenotypes of glaucoma which clinicians may derive clinical meaning directed towards patient’s management and prognostication. This thesis seeks to address the following issues relating to distinguishing clinical phenotypes of glaucoma: “Evaluating the impact of changing visual field test density on macular structure-function relationships to identify central-involving glaucoma phenotypes”; and “Identifying quantitative structural and functional clinical parameters that may distinguish between intraocular pressure (IOP) defined glaucoma phenotypes”; Two studies were undertaken to examine clinical phenotypes of glaucoma. The first study utilised systematic approach to assessing the impact of test point density in macular visual field (VF) testing on structure-function concordance for identifying centrally-involving glaucoma phenotypes. The second study used multivariate regression analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) to examine quantitative structural (using optical coherence tomography) and functional (VF) clinical data of newly-diagnosed glucoma patients to determine if there are clinically meaningful distinctions between IOP-defined phenotypes (i.e. low-tension vs high-tension glaucoma). Study 1) Using a systematic approach of test point addition and subtraction, we identified a critical number of test locations (8-14) in macular VF testing where binarised structure-function concordance is maximised, and discordance minimised. This methodology provides a framework for optimising macular VF test patterns for detection of centrally-involving glaucoma phenotypes. Study 2) Despite statistical significance in differences between low- and high-tension glaucoma, PCA applied to quantitative clinical structural and functional parameters returned no groups of clinical parameters that reliably distinguished between patients in IOP-defined glaucoma phenotypes. The present work provides a framework to identify phenotypic groups of glaucoma, the clinical significance of which may vary. We identified the minimum number of test points required to detect central-involving glaucoma in visual field testing. We also demonstrate that IOP-defined phenotypes are not clinically distinguishable at the point of diagnosis, suggesting that these phenotypes form part of a continuum of open-angle glaucoma. These findings have implications for disease staging and preferred treatment modality

AN EXPERIMENT USING THE GRAPHIC VARIABLE COLOR AND THE SEE COLOR CODE ON ISARITHMIC MAPS ACCESSIBLE TO BLIND AND NORMALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE

The See Color is a color coding system based on Braille writing to communicate colors to people with visual impairments. This study assessed the perception of the theme Temperature by blind people, by using the See Color code on two isarithmic tactile maps and the perception of subjects with normal color vision. An average temperature map of Australia had 10 classes, but these intervals were regrouped into four classes on Corel Draw software. The new map was duplicated in the digital project in A4 size, both included the See Color code in two color schemes obtained from the Color Brewer website. Subsequently, they were laser-printed on swell paper to produce the tactile relief. The chromatic perception was observed, as well as the thermal sensations that the colors could represent for blind participants (06), normally sighted participants in basic education (23), and normally sighted participants in higher education (20). In this research, the See Color code showed the potential to provide spatial knowledge as a graphic language through colors in color maps for adventitiously blind and for normally sighted participants based on their perception of colors and tactile color codes

A neural analysis-synthesis approach to learning procedural audio models

The effective sound design of environmental sounds is crucial to demonstrating an immersive experience. Classical Procedural Audio (PA) models have been developed to give the sound designer a fast way to synthesize a specific class of environmental sounds in a physically accurate and computationally efficient manner. These models are controllable due to the choice of parameters from analyzing a class of sound. However, the resulting synthesis lacks the fidelity for the preferred immersive experience; thus, the sound designer would rather search through an extensive database for real recordings of a target sound class. This thesis proposes the Procedural audio Variational autoEncoder (ProVE), a general framework for developing a high-fidelity PA model through data-driven neural audio synthesis methods to address the lack of realism in classical PA models. The two-step procedure of training ProVE models is explained through examples of sound classes of footstep sounds and the sound of pouring water. Furthermore, the thesis demonstrates a web application where users can generate footstep sounds by defining control variables for a pretrained ProVE model to show its capacity for interactive use in sound design workflows. The increase in fidelity from ProVE models is explored through objective evaluations of audio and subjective evaluations against classical PA methods. These results show that these learned neural PA models are feasible for sound design projects. The thesis concludes with a discussion of applications and future research directions

Understanding everyday experiences of reminiscence for people living with blindness: Practices, tensions and probing new design possibilities

There is growing attention in the HCI community on how technology could be designed to support experiences of reminiscence on past life experiences. Yet, this research has largely overlooked people living with blindness. I present a study that aims to understand everyday experiences of reminiscence for people living with blindness. I conducted a qualitative study with 9 participants living with blindness to understand their personal routines, wishes and desires, and challenges and tensions regarding the experience of reminiscence. Findings are interpreted to discuss new possibilities that offer starting points for future design initiatives and openings for collaboration aimed at creating technology to better support the practices of capturing, sharing, and reflecting on significant memories of the past

Hissin nappikonstruktion suunnittelu lisääville valmistusmenetelmille

Additive manufacturing, with its recent technological developments, has increasingly disrupted how products are designed and manufactured. Within additive manufacturing, there has been a shift from the production of visual models and rapid prototyping applications to direct digital manufacturing of end products. Additive manufacturing provides intriguing possibilities in the design of new and existing products. These radical, pioneering designs have already redefined whole industries. This thesis provides a practical case study for an additive manufacturing redesign together with a literature review of the current additive manufacturing technologies and applications. The target of the redesign was a low volume elevator button assembly. Concepts were prototyped and tested in contrast to the current industry specification. As a result of the thesis, a functional button assembly was produced and tested. The part count, material usage, and costs were reduced compared to the original. However, all industry requirements were not met. A need for a more systematic material and process selection was identified. Nevertheless, additive manufacturing was proven to be a serious alternative in the production of low volume plastic products and should be researched further.Lisäävien valmistusmenetelmien teknologinen kehitys vaikuttaa enenevissä määrin siihen, miten fyysisiä tuotteita valmistetaan. Visuaalisten- sekä pikamallien tulostuksesta ollaan siirtymässä lopputuotteiden suoraan valmistukseen. Geometristen rajoitusten vähyys luo kiinnostavia mahdollisuuksia uusien ja olemassa olevien tuotteiden suunnittelussa. Uudet radikaalit ja uraauurtavat tuotteet ovat jo määrittäneet uudelleen kokonaisia toimialoja. Tämän diplomityön käytännön osuudessa suunnittellaan hissin nappikonstruktio täysin uusiksi lisäävien valmistusmenetelmien näkökulmasta. Työ tarjoaa myös kirjallisen läpileikkauksen lisääviin valmistusteknologioihin sekä käyttökohteisiin. Käytännön työssä etsittiin lisäävien valmistusmenetelmien etuja hyödyntäviä konsepteja, prototypoitiin, sekä testattiin kehiteltyjä ratkaisuja suhteessa toimialan vaatimuksiin. Työn tuloksena valmistettiin ja testattiin toiminnallinen nappikonstruktio. Kokoonpanon osamäärää, materiaalinkäyttöä sekä hintaa saatiin vähennettyä suhteessa alkuperäiseen. Kaikkia vaatimuksia ei kuitenkaan saatu täytettyä. Prosessin aikana tunnistettiin tarve systemaattisemmalle materiaali- sekä valmistusprosessivalinnalle. Tästä huolimatta lisäävät valmistusmenetelmät todettiin vakavasti otettavaksi vaihtoehdoksi matalan volyymin muovituotteiden valmistuksessa

Clinical Implications Of Childhood Bilingualism

No abstract available

The effects of neurological damage on counterfactual thinking, regret, and decision making

In 5 experiments neurologically damaged patients’ counterfactual reasoning, decision making (DM) and experience of counterfactually mediated emotions (CME) was explored. 17 patients, with varying lesion sites resulting from a stroke, (7 female) aged between 31 and 84 (M=64.5 years) and 17 controls (12 female) aged between 28 and 74 (M= 59 years) participated in the project. The project was conducted with three aims in mind; to establish if regret itself is experienced in brain damaged individuals; to explore the component processes of CMEs and widen the search for the brain areas that supports these; to conduct research that points to how the experience of regret directly impacts on future DM and underpins adaptive behavioural change. Through exploring the link between regret and adaptive choice switching, investigating counterfactual reasoning abilities, CME responses, emotional responses to The Regret Gambling Task (RGT) and responses in a task designed to measure risk taking, this project sheds new light on how neurological damage affects counterfactual reasoning, emotions and DM. In addition, two experiments were conducted with undergraduate students to explore whether CMEs are produced slowly, through deliberative processes, or quickly and effortlessly. Results were interpreted as evidence for fast and effortless CME production