NASA Tech Briefs: Can you describe your research concerning the low-vision device? Paul Mogan : Over the past year a team has been put together that includes Georgia Tech, West Virginia University, Enhanced Vision Systems – a manufacturer of a portable head mounted visual aid – and several other partners. Our goal is to take electronic portable visual aid technology to the next level. I established a three-way non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement between KSC, Georgia Tech, and Enhanced Vision Systems to allow for research projects and protect Intellectual Property. In addition to already accomplishing some research, the folks at West Virginia University have obtained preliminary approval from the National Science Foundation to establish an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for low vision technology development. We've been working on the low vision project for about ten months. Our aim is to take advantage of the technology that is already being done for mass-market products (i.e., cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers, etc.) and sort of “ride the wave” of these technologies. These and other factors are fueling major technical developments and driving down prices on hardware, which will greatly enable what we are trying to accomplish. All of the development work that is being done for digital cameras and notebook computers includes things that we would like to have in our device, so we're taking advantage of that and putting it together with the right kind of uses for low vision. The idea is that it would look like a pair of sunglasses that would be unobtrusive to the wearer and when not in use, could be kept in their pocket and carried around easily. It also needs to have flexibility for different kinds of sight disabilities. NTB: What are some of the things that the device be able to help low vision people accomplish? Mogan: From speaking with different manufacturers and researchers of low-vision one of the things I noticed was that there were many things being developed that were very useful. An example of this could be an image processing method to enhance an image and prototype it on a desktop computer. The idea is that in the future computers are going to get smaller, so eventually the image will be able to be enhanced on a portable computer, which could be adapted for our low vision device. Another development that could help blind or low-vision people is what they call “wayfinding,” which is generally defined as helping people find their way from point A to point B. So, to accomplish this you need to know where you are, you need to know where you're going, and you need to find a route from A to B. It can be thought of as similar to the information provided by maps and GPS systems that are available in cars today. This is one of the things that we want to be able to do for a low-vision or blind person. However, because traveling down the sidewalk is not nearly as simple as driving down the street, providing more information becomes necessary. A low vision or blind person needs to be told about hazards in the area, recognize obstacles in the path, and so on. Currently, there are people developing wayfinding technologies. For example, utilizing the space shuttle, NASA has mapped a high percentage of the Earth's surface to within 2 meters of resolution. There also have been non-NASA related projects in some cities that have mapped everything to within maybe a foot. So we are getting to a point where a computer with wireless capabilities can be used to do wayfinding. Presently, these applications are being done on bigger computers or laptops, and the idea is that one day a computer will be small enough so all of this can be done on a portable computer. What I've come to realize is that cell phones are already becoming more and more capable, with more powerful microprocessors being added to them, and small PDA-type computers are being developed that can run Windows XP or Linux operating systems. So, the technology is getting there now and my idea is that this next-generation visual aid would be a wearable computer that more capabilities can be added to. Therefore, as researchers develop new capabilities, the wearable computer can be easily upgraded. NTB: How is technology for mass consumer markets (PDAs, cell phones, etc.) enabling this next-generation technology? Mogan: Basically, as technology has developed and advancements in industry have occurred, there are market forces currently developing what is needed for components such as smaller, more-efficient batteries. Wireless technology is being pushed by all of these devices, and increasing amounts of computing power is now found in smaller packages. Many of these advancements can be adapted for the next-generation low-vision aid. For example, the cellular phone industry is integrating an increasing amount of functionality into cellular phones including pocket PC and PDA functions. Within 2 years cellular phones will have Pentium-class processing power. Further miniaturization will occur over the next several years. Basically, more and more is being packed into these phones. What if I changed this around a little bit and said, ‘okay, this cell phone has basically what I want in some ways, and I'm going to take this and put a camera with a little zoom lens on it. Instead of displaying what the camera sees back onto the cell phone, I'll wear a head-mounted display that's hooked into it that takes the camera image and now the cell phone might magnify the image.' Cell phones also have wireless capabilities and GPS chips that can be used in the low vision device as well. So, as I see it, why not use these consumer product technologies that are getting smaller and smaller every day, and take those things and put them together the right way for a low-vision user. NTB: How is NASA utilizing this technology? Mogan: NASA is interested in being able to take a device (i.e., a wearable computer) out into the field that, if there is a problem, video footage or photos could be taken and automatically uploaded to a server so that customers or managers could view it immediately. Lets say I have a problem out in the field and I'm two or three miles from my office. I have a camcorder or digital camera, and I have to go out there, take some footage or pictures, go back to my office, transfer it to my computer and then put it on the server where I can get to it, and finally go down to the conference room to show to my mangers. Instead, why not put something in the field that can take the video and automatically upload it to a server where it can be streamed out to a Web page, conference room, etc. Theoretically – in real time or near real time – a technician could be in the field working and a manager could see what's going on at the same time. The device we're working on would be able to accomplish this task. NTB: How far along are you with the research and what is the next step for this technology? Mogan: What we've been doing for the last year is laying the foundation, demonstrating some of the concepts, assessing some of the technology that's on the market and what's going to come on the market in the next few years. We've been assembling a team of experts and have been getting a collaborative structure in place so we have a way of protecting peoples interests and intellectual property. We've also been contacting various developers of low vision research. Basically, getting the structure and team in place and assessing the technology. Within approximately four months we'll hear back about an NSF grant for putting together the cooperative research center and then we'll begin building some devices. Our biggest problem right now is funding. We are doing work at a low-level right now and are working towards getting a sizable grant. Paul Mogan can be contacted at Paul.Mogan@nasa.gov.
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