[Art_beyond_sight_theory_and_research] Canada, Bangkok, TouchMapper, Getting in Touch - Children's Braille Book Series

Mon Jul 4 13:40:27 UTC 2016

A tactile tale
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/sunday/A-tactile-tale-30289616.html
Include, Not Exclude: Italian Designers Allow the Blind to Appreciate 
Caravaggio Through 3D Printing
https://3dprint.com/128202/blind-caravaggio-3d-printing/
Mass Portal & Tactile Eyesight 3D print tactile books for visually 
impaired children
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160401-mass-portal-tactile-eyesight-3d-print-tactile-books-for-visually-impaired-children.html
Enhanced Reading for Blind in Latvia: Mass Portal Teams with Tactile 
Eyesight & Students for 3D Printed Books
https://3dprint.com/127514/blind-latvia-3d-printed-books/

Novel Tactile Designs Go on Show at Bangkok Art and Cultural Center

BANGKOK - A dozen well-known Thai artists who donned blindfolds to draw 
alongside visually impaired children are now displaying their tactile 
art at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center (BACC) in the Thai capital.

The artists, including Thai National Artist Itthipol Tangchaloke and 
cartoonist Chai Rajvatr, last week put on blindfolds and gathered with 
20 visually impaired children to create drawings using a velcro pad and 
yarn, or Lensen kits, developed by the Thai Klongdinsor Company.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2407970&CategoryId=13003

Canadian museum presents exhibit that blind people can "see"
Breakthrough technology by U.S. start up 3DPhotoWorks LLC enables the 
visually impaired to experience art on an equal basis with the sighted.
"CMHR is the first museum in the world to showcase three-dimensional 
tactile fine art printing developed by 3DPhotoWorks <javascript:void(0)> 
of Chatham, New York.  This recently patented technology is considered a 
major breakthrough for people with vision loss – allowing them to "see" 
photographs and fine art with their fingertips.
Inspired by research conducted by neuroscientist Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita of 
the University of Wisconsin, 3D tactile printing is based on the concept 
of neuroplasticity. As Dr. Bach-y-Rita's research within the blind 
community confirms, "The brain is able to use tactile information coming 
from the fingertips as if it were coming from the eyes. That's because 
we don't see with our eyes or hear with our ears, these are just the 
receptors, seeing and hearing in fact goes on in the brain.""
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-museum-presents-exhibit-that-blind-people-can-see-300237176.html

Learning complex tasks 'SUPERCHARGES' the brain: Difficult skills make 
minds more flexible and powerful by linking regions

  * Scientists taught sighted people to read Braille - a complex tactile
    task
  * Found the activity activated the visual cortex, as well as the
    tactile one
  * Researchers said the finding should lead to a re-think of how brain
    works

You might imagine the brain to be divided into specific areas 
responsible for processing different senses.
But researchers have now shown how we can 'supercharge' our minds and 
break down its barriers so it becomes more flexible.
Scientists taught sighted people to read Braille and found the complex 
tactile task surprisingly activated the visual cortex, as well as the 
tactile one.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3491899/Learning-complex-tasks-SUPERCHARGES-brain-Difficult-skills-make-minds-flexible-powerful-linking-regions.html

Visually-impaired and blind students test modified 'tactile' games
http://kimatv.com/news/local/visually-impaired-and-blind-students-test

ASU  staff and students innovate solutions ... Alternative Format Lab
"“When Braille was created, even when math Braille was created in 1972, 
nobody anticipated the advances in sciences like DNA. We almost had to 
create her books from scratch.”
Newton helped to develop the process for doing tactile diagrams, which 
weren’t even provided when she was a student. One way to do it is to 
print complicated graphics onto heat-encapsulated paper, which is then 
run through a machine dubbed “the toaster,” which heats the paper and 
raises the ink so the image can be felt. Images also can be embossed."
https://asunow.asu.edu/20160309-solutions-making-textbooks-accessible-all

The Tactile Technology That's Helping Blind People Experience Priceless 
Paintings
This Canadian company creates reproductions of famous paintings that are 
designed to be touched.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3057221/the-tactile-technology-thats-helping-blind-people-experience-priceless-paintings

Touch Mapper: 3D Printed Tactile Maps Allow the Visually Impaired to 
Orient Themselves in Any Location
https://3dprint.com/121736/3d-printed-tactile-maps/

Blind artists share their vision
Visitors encouraged to touch photos
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/blind-artists-share-their-vision-369073041.html

3D printed tactile picture books entertain and teach visually impaired 
children

The digital files for the tactile children’s books have all been made 
open source and are available to download via the Tactile Picture 
Books’s online library, meaning that just about anyone, from educator, 
to parent, can create a book for their visually impaired child.

3D printing has helped those working in the field of visual impairments 
make some big advancements. For instance, we learned about pieces of 
fine art being turned into tactile 3D printed artworks to be experienced 
by the blind, as well as a whole new form of 3D printed music notation 
to help visually impaired musicians read music. Just this week as well, 
Linespace, a tactile display system using a 3D printer print head meant 
to help the blind read maps and images, was unveiled. As the technology 
continues to develop there is no doubt that treatments and opportunities 
for the visually impaired will also improve.
http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160209-3d-printed-tactile-picture-books-entertain-and-teach-visually-impaired-children.html

https://3dprint.com/118521/3d-printed-tactile-books/

http://www.tactilepicturebooks.org/

Free and open source online 3D modeling tool CraftML launches beta version

Opening up a world of art for the blind with 3-D technology
'I had never felt anything like this before'
http://www.ksat.com/health/opening-up-a-world-of-art-for-the-blind-with-3d-technology

Painters’ Paintings: From Freud to Van Dyck – review
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jun/26/painters-paintings-freud-to-van-dyck-national-gallery-review

TVMA Open Extra Hours
http://www.courierjournal.net/this_week/article_7bcbc602-3703-11e6-ac57-27edc134f076.html

New braille printer at SA vision-impaired school opens world of reading 
to students
"We print textbooks, from maths, science, anything that primary or high 
school kids use, as well as fiction and tactile books.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-27/sa-vision-impaired-students-benefit-new-braille-printer/7546678

Lee Littlewood: Novelty Books to Make Summertime Rock
http://www.noozhawk.com/parent_nooz/article/lee_littlewood_novelty_books_to_make_summertime_rock_20160612

Getting in Touch: How We Were Inspired to Create a Children's Braille 
Book Series
http://www.dk.com/us/explore/education/an-intro-to-dk-braille-books/

Norton Middle School DEAR ZOO Tactile Picture Book
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1593270

‘Please Touch the Art’: A Short Documentary With an Impactful Message
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-matcovsky-/please-touch-the-art-a-sh_b_10030456.html

Blind photographer who uses cameras to 'bring the world in' speaks at 
human rights museum
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/blind-photographer-speaks-cmhr-1.3587800

Blind artist brings exhibit on light and dark to Joliet’s Gallery Seven
http://buglenewspapers.com/blind-artist-brings-exhibit-on-light-and-dark-to-joliets-gallery-seven