Converting Images Into Sounds for the Blind

prostoalex writes "ACM News Service links to a page on Cornell University Web site that describes a technology developed by researchers to enable blind people to read maps. According to the article, the software package consists of "Java computer code that could translate images into sound, and a rudimentary software program capable of converting pixels of various colors into piano notes of various tones"."

Comments

even better

[laursen]

This has been done before!

Fax logo recognition

[digitalchinky]

I remember seeing a few 'black boxes' (Sparc 20's to be vaguely specific) that were running some fairly interesting algorithms (around the 1997/98 ish era) that would identify logo's from various transmissions, mostly faxes, thus identifying the sending entity.

It was more miss than hit, though I'm sure the recognition software has improved since then, it still relied upon a mathmatic description of the original image, much the same as a voice print.

This was before I defected from Military to civil defence.

Re:Mods are insensitive clods - this *is* on-topic

[youngerpants]

Consult wiki and ye shall receive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slashdot_subculture The most commonly accepted origin of this phrase appeared in the May 7, 2000 Simpsons episode "Last Tap Dance in Springfield". In the episode, the phrase is used when Professor Frink makes a pair of self-tap-dancing shoes for Lisa. After she dances, he points out that they were really in the "off" position, and that she had tap-danced by herself. Homer replies, "What are you talking about, Professor Frink? They're clearly in the 'on' position. See? 'On'." Professor Frink then says, "I was merely trying to spare the girl's feelings, you insensitive clod."

Technology to allow blind to read maps

[g0bshiTe]

I believe it is called braille. And it isn't new.