Artificial Vision for the Blind - EyeMusic (Yissum)
Artificial vision system for sight restoration using sensory substitution devices (SSDs), which utilize small cameras that convert visual information to auditory (or tactile) input.
Blind people use the visual cortex, which is normally used in processing sight, to process sound and touch and enhance their memory and language capabilitiesSystem involving a tiny video camera worn by a blind person to capture the surrounding visual field and convert it into a soundscape (or tactile matrix) using a set of novel algorithms. After training, blind individuals have been able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, “see” pictures of animals, and even find an object—such as a pair of shoes or a person—in a complex visual landscape.Depending on a person's motivation and ability, the basis for the seeing-through-sound language may be learned in 10 to 20 hours.
Low-cost, non-invasive system works for sight-impaired people of any age regardless of the cause or severity of their disability
Bestows independence on the sight impaired without need for surgery or additional aids such as guide dogsEventually, SSDs may be integrated into medical devices employing other inputs, such as touch and echolocation (similar to the use of sounds echoes in bats and dolphins), to comprise a multisensory substitution for vision.
The next step is to introduce the system more widely to children and others and develop improved algorithms and friendlier set-up design
Seeking cooperation with teachers and organisations for the blind to recruit candidates to learn the system and try it
Prototype has been used to train blind individuals to “see” using sound and touch after several training sessions
About 2.6% of the total population of the world are visually impaired of whom about 0.6%, around 38 million people, are blind
PCT filed
10-2009-2261
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