FingerReader: A Wearable Device to Support Text Reading on the Go

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 that assists the visually impaired with effectively and efficiently reading paper-...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shilkrot, Roy, Huber, Jochen, Nanayakkara, Suranga, Liu, Connie K., Maes, Patricia
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92436
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7722-6038
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9154-4254
Description
Summary: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 that assists the visually impaired with effectively and efficiently reading paper-printed text. 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. The design is motivated by preliminary studies with visually impaired people, and it is small-scale and mobile, which enables a more manageable operation with little setup.