Videotelephony for blind people

1
Videotelephony for blind people case studies
with high quality prototype and 3G mobile systems

• Bjørn Hestnes, Telenor RD
• Peter Brooks, Teolys
• Svein Heiestad, Telenor RD
• In collaboration with
• Telenor RD
• Teolys
• MediaLT
• Opplysningen AS

2
Videotelephony for blind

• A blind user calls an assistant to have described
  what is in his vicinity

3
(No Transcript)
4
On the move
5
Reading text
6
Video quality to achieve all situations
7
Video quality to achieve all situations
8
(No Transcript)
9
3G Eyephone

• Project with
• 10 test persons
• 10 friends that guide
• Opplysningen AS as additional guide centre
• Hand out 2 pieces 3G mobile phones to each
• Study user pattern for 4 months
• Study implications for Opplysningen as a guide
  service

10
Research Questions

• Based on earlier results
• Will 3G videotelephony be perceived as "good
  enough"?
• Will selected friends and family be the guide?
• Will Opplysningen AS be the supplimented guide
  service
• (for example for confidential topics)?

11
Guide dog training
12
Conclusions

• Totally, 100 test persons in the project, 10 for
  3G
• Used for
• Regain control when lost
• Find something lost
• To operate devices (mini-bank, washing machine)
• Reading text (signs, soup packet instructions)
• Though too poor quality (for certain situations),
  users adopt
• Inadequate for
• Viewing the environment with many details
• Reading small text
• The users feel safer with the Eye-phone
• Range of movement has expanded
• Close family feels more relaxed