[Nfbf-l] vOICe technology helps people see with their ears

[Alan Dicey]

Dear Friends,
Appended is a blog article on The vOICe written and published today by
Zara Jade Bosman of Cape Town, South Africa.
I know I have posted other articles regarding this subject, but I find this 
one very clear and precise.
I sure wish I could meet someone using this system and get their first hand 
thoughts on it.
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida
-           - --
USB Camera Glasses for the Blind
http://www.seeingwithsound.com/camera_glasses.htm

vOICe technology helps people see with their ears.
New technology literally allows people to see with their ears. vOICe, a play 
on the words 'oh I see', is a device that scans a user's surroundings to 
create corresponding sounds, thereby giving them an idea of what their 
environment looks like. For example, bright objects may be perceived as 
'louder', and distance can be gauged by frequency. What the technology is 
doing is exploiting the neuroplasticity of the brain; its ability to rewire 
itself to compensate for losses in other areas, in this case by tricking it 
into believing it is receiving stimulus from the eyes.

Essentially, what vOICe does is create a synesthetic experience in the user.
Synaesthesia is a neurological condition whereby a person associates one 
sense with another; where the two senses are somewhat mixed when they should 
be distinct. For example, a synesthete would see a particular color and 
imagine a certain smell, or feel a texture and associate it with a certain 
sound.

How does vOICe work?

It works by using a video camera hidden inside a pair of spy sunglasses. The 
camera inside the glasses, in turn, is connected to a PC (loaded with the 
vOICe software) and a pair of headphones. Instead of using this method, some 
people download the vOICe software onto their smartphones and its built-in 
camera performs the function of the spy sunglasses. In both cases, the 
camera scans each frame from left to right; these images are then converted 
into soundscapes and fed into the left and right ear respectively.

Unsurprisingly, some training is needed in how to use vOICe. Indeed, the US 
National Science Foundation funded the first controlled study of the 
benefits of this technology and developed a vOICe training programme. The 
trial was run by Enrico Bernardo and Luis Goncalves of MetaModal, a sensory 
substitution device testing company. The first two people trained were a 
40-year-old, who had lost his sight, and a 66-year-old who was born blind. 
They completed two hour training sessions every week, which involved things 
like finding their way around an obstacle course while using vOICe. An 
example of the programme's success is that the 66-year-old can now seat 
himself at a restaurant,  something he never could have dreamed of before.

vOICe, developed by Dutch physicist Peter Meijer, took a long time to get to 
where it is today. The concept was first developed in 1982, with the first 
prototype only being built in 1991. By 1998 it had evolved to become 
portable and over 10 years later it is finally compact enough to 
realistically be used.

The idea of using another sense to substitute for vision was is not a novel
one.
It was first conceived of by neuroscientist Paul Bach-y-Rita, who developed 
a device in 1969 that substituted touch for sight. What he did was attached 
a TV camera to a dentist's chair where a collection of stimulators 
translated images to vibrations which the user felt on their back. Although 
a far cry from present technology, it allowed users to distinguish between 
vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, and the skilled user could 
associate the vibrations with faces and objects. But Bach-y-Rita didn't stop 
there. Later on in his career, he went on to develop a device that used the 
highly-sensitive tongue as the point of contact; a device that proved more 
successful than his previous attempt.

Other uses for vOICe.

How about using vOICe in sighted people for sensory enhancement? To go back 
to the synaesthesia topic, some synesthetes benefit from their peculiar 
condition.
Evidence indicates that the ability to associate numbers with colors, for 
instance, enhances mathematical ability and helps with memory. Some 
synesthetes use these unusual ways of perceiving to make unique connections 
that would be impossible for someone without the condition. Unsurprisingly, 
studies show that certain types of synaesthesia bring about increased 
artistic ability, and there is a long list of famous artists who were 
synesthetes, including Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Criticism.

vOICe has met mostly with praise though it does have its critics. One such 
critic is J. Kevin O'Regan, a psychologist at Descartes University in Paris.
He states that the technology is still in need of development as vOICe needs 
to scan an image and therefore does not have the immediacy of sight.
However, the scientists working on the technology are unlikely to rest on 
their laurels, so you can be sure that they are investing considerable time 
and energy into further product development.

Written by Zara Jade Bosman

Image credit: Microsoft Images, Royalty Free

Source URL:
http://www.technifrique.co.za/voice-technology-help-people-see-with-their-ears/

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