Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
Doi
Abstract
It is difficult to predict exactly what blind subjects with
camera-driven visual prostheses (e.g., retinal implants) can perceive.
Thus, it is prudent to offer them a wide variety of image processing
filters and the capability to engage these filters repeatedly in any userdefined
order to enhance their visual perception. To attain true portability,
we employ a commercial off-the-shelf battery-powered general
purpose Linux microprocessor platform to create the
microcomputer-based artificial vision support system (µAVS^2) for
real-time image processing. Truly standalone, µAVS^2 is smaller than a
deck of playing cards, lightweight, fast, and equipped with USB, RS-
232 and Ethernet interfaces. Image processing filters on µAVS^2 operate
in a user-defined linear sequential-loop fashion, resulting in vastly
reduced memory and CPU requirements during execution. µAVS^2
imports raw video frames from a USB or IP camera, performs image
processing, and issues the processed data over an outbound Internet
TCP/IP or RS-232 connection to the visual prosthesis system. Hence,
µAVS^2 affords users of current and future visual prostheses independent
mobility and the capability to customize the visual perception
generated. Additionally, µAVS^2 can easily be reconfigured for other
prosthetic systems. Testing of µAVS^2 with actual retinal implant carriers
is envisioned in the near future