[Blindmath] grayscale braille

[Michael Whapples]

Contrast might or might not relate to changes in colour, particularly as far 
as the voice is concerned if I understand how the voice works.

To explain now, I understand the voice is using a form of grayscale 
representation. I know you can apply a particular colour filter, but this 
even so is a form of grayscale. I understand the voice only gives you a 
level of intensity (IE. how loud the sound is) and in the case of colour 
filter mode it is only measuring the intensity of one colour rather than 
them all.

The colour filter mode actually makes me think of an early electronic 
magnifier system I used. The magnifier system had a black and white camera 
in it, so output on the screen was grayscale. However the magnifier system 
used LEDs to illuminate the page being viewed, however the manufacturer had 
used red LEDs and therefore one was unable to read red text on a white 
background as red reflected the red light just as well as the white 
background and therefore the gray level used was the same for both. Equally 
one could not necessarily see the difference between blue and green when 
viewing the grayscale of the magnifier system as both of those would reflect 
the red light  equally poorly.

Anyway back to contrast, the intensity is just one dimension where things 
may contrast. If the viewer has colour information as well then differences 
in that may also be contrasting, but if one has thrown that information away 
in creating a grayscale image then changes in colours will not contrast.

I think the contrast of changes in colours is what Richard Baldwin's tool 
for enhancing diagrams for the blind is detecting and showing. That is why 
you only get outlines of objects in his tool as the boundary is where there 
is a colour contrast.

I am not fully sure, but I think some of what you mention on very high 
contrast images distorting the image, may be something to do with how it 
appears to the viewer. I know some find having the pure white background for 
text can be a bit glaring, I think this is to do with the eye recieving so 
much light that it is hard to see the small amounts of black. Whether that 
is just a problem for how the eye works I don't know.

Whether distortions happen to images on cameras I don't know, however there 
are many digital cameras which might try and do some autocorrection and so 
might be tricked into doing something which isn't quite right for what the 
operator would desire. Images with large amounts of very light stuff and 
large areas which are quite dark could be difficult as a short exposure time 
may loose detail in the dark sections and a long exposure time may lead to 
the bright sections being over exposed.

So may be high contrasts in intensity can give problems.

Michael Whapples

-----Original Message----- 
From: Pranav Lal
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 1:36 AM
To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
Subject: Re: [Blindmath] grayscale braille

Hi all,

I do not know colors perceptually. However, One comparatively rare
circumstance where color in a tactile image may be important is if the blind
person is presenting to a group of sighted persons. I have frequently been
to conferences where people display graphs and talk about the blue line
representing such and such variable. I say this is rare for blind people
since I do not know how many blind people keep tactile diagrams with them
when making such presentations.

When we talk about changes in color, are we talking about contrast? If so,
then I have experienced this with the vOICe. The higher the contrast, the
better I can distinguish objects. However, I remember that too high a
contrast distorted the image but I will have to double check this.

Pranav


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