Drawing For The Blind

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Posted by timothy on Monday July 1, 2002 @12:12AM from the but-not-the-colorblind dept.

idletask writes: "Hesham Kamel, a student from University of Berkeley who lost his vision 17 years ago due to a surgeon error, imagined and implemented IC2D (Integrated Communication 2 Draw), a program allowing visually impaired people in general to create computer graphics. The interface to the program is a mere telephone keypad, and it uses voice synthesis to communicate with the user. In fact, this program reveals, through its testers, that yes, blind people know how to draw, and they're as good at it as other people. More information on this program can be found here (1) and here (2). Story found on ArsTechnica."

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Good? by buzzbomb · 2002-07-01 00:18 · Score: 4, Funny

blind people know how to draw, and they're as good at it as other people.

Well, if the poster had seen any of my "artwork", he'd know that that isn't saying very much.
ummmm by j0nkatz · 2002-07-01 00:20 · Score: 2

You should have waited for drdink to come back from vacation to post that story.

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Don't mod me, bro'!!!!
Great! by NASAKnight · 2002-07-01 00:21 · Score: 3, Funny

Now I can play pictionary with blind people WITHOUT feeling like I have an unfair advatange!

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Fault loves the past, worry loves the future, but content enjoys the present.
artwork by xpurple · 2002-07-01 00:36 · Score: 2, Insightful

I think this is a wonderfull thing. We could get some very good works that would otherwize not existed.

Very similar to software that lets blind people use computers for general use.

It's all about using technology to let everyone have access, and become productive members of society.

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http://www.xpurple.com
One small problem... by Pembers · 2002-07-01 01:44 · Score: 3, Interesting

...is that the article says the system uses a telephone keypad for selecting where you want to put the cursor. Perhaps it's just a metaphor to make it easier to understand, but the keypad on a phone is upside down compared to the number pad on a computer keyboard. It would be rather confusing if the instructions said "press 1 for the top left corner," and you had to press the key that you were used to thinking of as "7". If this is a problem, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to add an option to invert the pad - rather like GUIs will let you use a mouse left-handed or right-handed.

That apart, this sounds like a very cool idea. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that a blind person can draw if you give them the right tools. The main skill in drawing is observing things accurately - even if you draw from imagination, you're often remembering details of things you've seen. If you can't see your surroundings, then moving around without bumping into things or injuring yourself requires you to build an accurate mental model of the environment in 3 dimensions - observe it, in other words. The fact that collecting the information to build this model requires you to use senses other than sight is what project managers would call an "implementation detail." ;-)

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Just another wannabe fantasy novelist...
Re:Cool. by CProgrammer98 · 2002-07-01 01:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

didja read the article?

Kamel is asked often why those without sight would need to draw something they cannot see.

"There are many people out there who can't understand that blind people have imaginations, just as sighted people do," he said. "For me, it's all about independence."

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And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour Isaiah 3:5
The next Rembrandt by p3d0 · 2002-07-01 01:45 · Score: 2, Insightful

One man blind since birth drew a side view of a car that's as good as anything I could draw!
Really? This is the best you could draw?

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Patrick Doyle
I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
1. Re:The next Rembrandt by p3d0 · 2002-07-01 03:46 · Score: 2
  
  I have been moded down for the parent post, so apparently my comment is subject to misinterpretation as making fun of the blind. I don't care about the former (as I have reached the karma cap), but the latter bothers me, so I suppose I should explain myself.
  I simply meant that Mr. James Landay was grossly overselling the capabilities of this new drawing tool. If I hadn't actually seen the art that had been produced by the tool, his description would have led me to believe it looked more like this or this.
  
  --
  Patrick Doyle
  I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
2. Re:The next Rembrandt by matrix29 · 2002-07-01 11:54 · Score: 2
  
  Yes, I'm not a great sketcher (with or w/o computer).
  I cannot draw anything like the two figures you posted. I stand by my original comment. Also, the car was by someone who was blind from birth and has no experience drawing or using the program (IC2D).
  
  On the other hand, with force feedback being an option these days I'd think blind people would have some advantage drawing 3D shapes at the very least and being able to do some mostly decent 2D drawings if the stylus would "bump" over lines already drawn (there is already a mouse that can do force-feedback and is thusly a good choice of tools for blind-rendered art).
  
  --
  "Face it, a nation that maintains a 72% approval rating on George W. Bush is a nation with a very loose grip on reality.
Star Trek quote by codexus · 2002-07-01 01:47 · Score: 2

This story reminded me of this Star Trek episode where Riker says:

"A blind man teaching an android to paint? That's gotta be worth something to someone."

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True warriors use the Klingon Google
Ahh... by SageMadHatter · 2002-07-01 02:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

A deaf man composed some of the greatest music the world has ever heard. When will a blind man come along that will draw the greatest paintings? Mad Hatter
1. Re:Ahh... by ocie · 2002-07-01 07:00 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, he could hear through bone conduction. He sat at a piano with a long stick. One end was placed against the harp and he held the other end between his teeth. Still, great music though.
  
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  JET Program: see Japan, meet intere
Drawing for the blind? by Anonymous Coward · 2002-07-01 03:10 · Score: 2, Funny

I guess this was how the Pontiac Aztek was designed...
Simpler interface by RDPIII · 2002-07-01 03:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

One could also use WordsEye and maybe add a speech frontend.

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Marklar: marklar
After checking both links... by sporty · 2002-07-01 03:45 · Score: 2

Hey, the blind aren't that bad at "visualizing" and drawing, but web designers they are not. Red on green? Ug. :)

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ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
How a blind person can "use" a drawing by texchanchan · 2002-07-01 04:26 · Score: 5, Insightful

Re, If they're "visually impaired", how are they going to enjoy their own work?

Drawings aren't all just to look at.

Suppose you're visually impaired or even completely blind. You could use this tool for drawing architectural plans, circuit diagrams, garden layouts, org charts--anything you want.
Use of color by Jack+Porter · 2002-07-01 04:33 · Score: 2, Funny

Unfortunately the system doesn't appear to be able to tell the operator that red links on green background are very difficult to read!
Has Dragon's MouseGrid been patented yet? by joneshenry · 2002-07-01 07:09 · Score: 2

For years the promotional literature and reviews for Dragon Naturally Speaking have mentioned the MouseGrid technology which was "patent-pending". The idea behind MouseGrid is precisely the basis for IC2D--dividing up a region into 3 x 3 squares, homing in by subdividing each subregion into 3 x 3 squares, etc; furthermore, Dragon Naturally Speaking uses voice commands to select these regions. I have seen no mention of Dragon Naturally Speaking on the IC2D web site. Shouldn't a researcher at least acknowledge prior work?

I'm beginning to think that the Bakers are the only true innovators in natural language processing.