A Stereo Image Processing System for Visually Impaired
This paper presents a review on vision aided systems
and proposes an approach for visual rehabilitation using stereo vision
technology. The proposed system utilizes stereo vision, image
processing methodology and a sonification procedure to support
blind navigation. The developed system includes a wearable
computer, stereo cameras as vision sensor and stereo earphones, all
moulded in a helmet. The image of the scene infront of visually
handicapped is captured by the vision sensors. The captured images
are processed to enhance the important features in the scene in front,
for navigation assistance. The image processing is designed as model
of human vision by identifying the obstacles and their depth
information. The processed image is mapped on to musical stereo
sound for the blind-s understanding of the scene infront. The
developed method has been tested in the indoor and outdoor
environments and the proposed image processing methodology is
found to be effective for object identification.
[1] World Health Organization (2004) Available:
http://www.who.int//mipfiles/2400/AllenFoster.pdf
[2] F. Wong, R. Nagarajan, S. Yaacob, A. Chekima and N. E. Belkhamza,
"Electronic travel aids for visually impaired - A guided tour",
Proceedings of Conference in Engineering in Sarawak, Malaysia, pp.
377-382, 2000.
[3] R. M. Fish, "Auditory display for the blind", US Patent No. 3800082,
1974.
[4] C. Capelle, C. Trullemans, "A Real-Time Experimental Prototype for
Enhancement of Vision rehabilitation Using Auditory Substitution",
IEEE Trans. on Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 45, pp. 1279-1293, 1998.
[5] J. Borenstein and I. Ulrich, "The GuideCane - A computerized travel aid
for the active guidance of blind pedestrians", Proceedings of IEEE
International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Albuquerque,
NM, pp. 1283-1288, 1997.
[6] S. Shraga, I. Ulrich and J. Borenstein, "Computerized Obstacle
Avoidance Systems for the Blind and Visually Impaired", Intelligent
Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering. CRC Press,
pp. 414-448, 2000.
[7] L. Kay, "Electronic aids for blind person: an interdisciplinary subject",
IEE proceeding, Vol. 7, pp. 559-576, 1984.
[8] P. B. L. Meijer, "An Experimental System for Auditory Image
Representations", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol.
39, pp. 112-121, 1991.
[9] G. Sainarayanan, "On Intelligent Image Processing Methodologies
Applied to Navigation Assistance for Visually Impaired", Ph. D Thesis,
University Malaysia Sabah, 2002.
[10] M. Z. Brown and G. D. Hager, "Advances in computational stereo",
IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 25, pp.
993-1008, 2003.
[11] M. Capp and P. Picton, "The Optophone: an electronic blind aid",
Engineering Science and education Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 137-143,
2000.
[12] J. S. Zelek, S. P. Bromley, D. Aamar and D. Thompson, "A haptic glove
as a tactile vision sensory substitution for way finding", Journal of
Visual Impairment and Blindness, pp 621-632, 2003.
[13] Y. Kawai and F. Tomita, "A support system for visually impaired
persons to understand three-dimensional visual information using
acoustic interface", IEEE conference on Pattern Recognition, Vol. 3, pp.
974-977, 2002.
[14] Xybernaut Wearable computer (2004), Available:
http://www.xybernaut.com
[15] J. Canny, "A Computational Approach to Edge Detection", IEEE Trans.
Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 6, pp. 721-741, 1984.
[16] U. R. Dhond and J. K. Aggarwal, "Structure from stereo", IEEE Trans.
on systems, man and cybernatics, vol. 19, pp. 1489 - 1510, 1989.
[17] D. A. Forsyth and J. Ponce, "Computer Vision: A modern approach",
Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2002.
[18] T. J. Ross, "Fuzzy logic with engineering applications", McGraw-Hill,
NewYork, 1997.
[19] R. Elliott, "Fundamentals of music", Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1971.
[20] Twelve tone technique (2004), Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Twelve_tone_technique
[21] J. R. Pierce, "The Science of Musical Sound", W.H. Freeman &
Company, Newyork, 1992.
[1] World Health Organization (2004) Available:
http://www.who.int//mipfiles/2400/AllenFoster.pdf
[2] F. Wong, R. Nagarajan, S. Yaacob, A. Chekima and N. E. Belkhamza,
"Electronic travel aids for visually impaired - A guided tour",
Proceedings of Conference in Engineering in Sarawak, Malaysia, pp.
377-382, 2000.
[3] R. M. Fish, "Auditory display for the blind", US Patent No. 3800082,
1974.
[4] C. Capelle, C. Trullemans, "A Real-Time Experimental Prototype for
Enhancement of Vision rehabilitation Using Auditory Substitution",
IEEE Trans. on Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 45, pp. 1279-1293, 1998.
[5] J. Borenstein and I. Ulrich, "The GuideCane - A computerized travel aid
for the active guidance of blind pedestrians", Proceedings of IEEE
International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Albuquerque,
NM, pp. 1283-1288, 1997.
[6] S. Shraga, I. Ulrich and J. Borenstein, "Computerized Obstacle
Avoidance Systems for the Blind and Visually Impaired", Intelligent
Systems and Technologies in Rehabilitation Engineering. CRC Press,
pp. 414-448, 2000.
[7] L. Kay, "Electronic aids for blind person: an interdisciplinary subject",
IEE proceeding, Vol. 7, pp. 559-576, 1984.
[8] P. B. L. Meijer, "An Experimental System for Auditory Image
Representations", IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol.
39, pp. 112-121, 1991.
[9] G. Sainarayanan, "On Intelligent Image Processing Methodologies
Applied to Navigation Assistance for Visually Impaired", Ph. D Thesis,
University Malaysia Sabah, 2002.
[10] M. Z. Brown and G. D. Hager, "Advances in computational stereo",
IEEE Trans. Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 25, pp.
993-1008, 2003.
[11] M. Capp and P. Picton, "The Optophone: an electronic blind aid",
Engineering Science and education Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 137-143,
2000.
[12] J. S. Zelek, S. P. Bromley, D. Aamar and D. Thompson, "A haptic glove
as a tactile vision sensory substitution for way finding", Journal of
Visual Impairment and Blindness, pp 621-632, 2003.
[13] Y. Kawai and F. Tomita, "A support system for visually impaired
persons to understand three-dimensional visual information using
acoustic interface", IEEE conference on Pattern Recognition, Vol. 3, pp.
974-977, 2002.
[14] Xybernaut Wearable computer (2004), Available:
http://www.xybernaut.com
[15] J. Canny, "A Computational Approach to Edge Detection", IEEE Trans.
Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 6, pp. 721-741, 1984.
[16] U. R. Dhond and J. K. Aggarwal, "Structure from stereo", IEEE Trans.
on systems, man and cybernatics, vol. 19, pp. 1489 - 1510, 1989.
[17] D. A. Forsyth and J. Ponce, "Computer Vision: A modern approach",
Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 2002.
[18] T. J. Ross, "Fuzzy logic with engineering applications", McGraw-Hill,
NewYork, 1997.
[19] R. Elliott, "Fundamentals of music", Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1971.
[20] Twelve tone technique (2004), Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Twelve_tone_technique
[21] J. R. Pierce, "The Science of Musical Sound", W.H. Freeman &
Company, Newyork, 1992.
@article{"International Journal of Information, Control and Computer Sciences:59436", author = "G. Balakrishnan and G. Sainarayanan and R. Nagarajan and Sazali Yaacob", title = "A Stereo Image Processing System for Visually Impaired", abstract = "This paper presents a review on vision aided systems
and proposes an approach for visual rehabilitation using stereo vision
technology. The proposed system utilizes stereo vision, image
processing methodology and a sonification procedure to support
blind navigation. The developed system includes a wearable
computer, stereo cameras as vision sensor and stereo earphones, all
moulded in a helmet. The image of the scene infront of visually
handicapped is captured by the vision sensors. The captured images
are processed to enhance the important features in the scene in front,
for navigation assistance. The image processing is designed as model
of human vision by identifying the obstacles and their depth
information. The processed image is mapped on to musical stereo
sound for the blind-s understanding of the scene infront. The
developed method has been tested in the indoor and outdoor
environments and the proposed image processing methodology is
found to be effective for object identification.", keywords = "Blind navigation, stereo vision, image processing,object preference, music tones.", volume = "2", number = "8", pages = "2748-10", }
