Ask Slashdot: Best Webcam To Augment Impaired Vision?

mynamestolen writes "In order to read paper-based books many visually impaired people want to attach a webcam to a computer and attach the computer to a TV. Some Electronic Magnifiers are purpose-built to provide a similar solution. Different organisations around the world (such as in the UK) have help pages. But I have not been able to find a guide to set up my own system. So I'm asking Slashdot readers how to go about it. What is the best camera to use if I want to hold the camera in my hand and point it at book or magazine? What parameters should I adjust, either in the software or on the camera? Depth of view, refresh rates, contrast, color balance and resolution might be key problems. My system is Linux and getting drivers for a good camera might also be a problem."

Comments

For people who don't know

[decipher_saint]

Machines have been around for ages that you can use to read a book on a large screen with different levels of magnification, it has a tray that you can move around easily and it has a small CCD camera hooked up to a TV screen.

When I was in school in the 80s I used a VisualTech CCD magnifier, in fact they're still around: http://www.visual-techconnection.com/cctvs1.htm

However since most of us have computers these days it's hard to justify having such a bulky device around for books.

So what are the options:
1. Get eBooks and zoom in to your hearts content
(problem: not all books are available in eBook form)
2. Get large print copy of the book you want to read
(problem: same as above, enlargement might be impractical or unavailable [your library mileage may vary])
3. Get a stand alone magnifier device for yer book readin'
(compatible with most books and sidesteps copyright issues)

I can see how people think that computer + webcam + tray = book reader, so I'm interested to see if anyone out there in candyland has found a good setup for this.

But yes, this is a thing that visually impaired people have to deal with that so far only seems to have been solved by a handful of companies.

why webcam?

[vlm]

I'm mystified why it has to be a webcam, other than the joy of complexity.

I am personally involved in two "scenes" where other participants a couple decades grayer than myself need similar tech and both use plain ole cameras hooked up to TVs.

I can easily solder 0402 SMD by hand (I kid you not, and I've assembled working N5AC microwave oscillator kits to prove it.. the main vco inductor is a 0402 as are a bunch of the bypass caps. Also I know several model machinists (of the homemade steam engine variety) who use toolpost mounted microscopes to see little stuff, also some of them are pretty young, like the guys trying to machine a research medical adapter between a hypo needle and some medical research "thing".

Anyway the killer for hand/eye coordination is latency. A simple camcorder is fast enough, a webcam no freaking way. Also the "boot time" of a camcorder is faster than any PC, not to mention "application launch". No software updates, no viruses (other than the ones you're looking at under the microscope LOL).

I do know that one huge user of "webcam glued to gear" is medical examiners / pathologists because its easier to import CSI style evidence into a report edited on a computer if you use a webcam. Otherwise stay away from webcams !