Javier Hernandez, Daniel McDuff, Xavier Benavides, Judith Amores, Pattie Maes, Rosalind Picard

Abstract

Visually impaired people report numerous difficulties with accessing printed text using existing technology, including problems with alignment, focus, accuracy, mobility and efficiency. We present a finger worn device, which contains a camera, vibration motors and a microcontroller, that assists the visually impaired with effectively and efficiently reading paper-printed text in a manageable operation with little setup. We introduce a novel, local-sequential manner for scanning text which enables reading single lines, blocks of text or skimming the text for important sections while providing real-time auditory and tactile feedback.