Multimedia Communication System for the Blind

Abstract

A Multimedia communication system for blind users is developed. The system is named MIMIZU and its terminal is composed of a refreshable tactile graphic display and a stylus pen device that utilizes ultrasonic technologies. Blind users can make drawings directly on the tactile display surface with the stylus pen. It was originally developed as a drawing system with an erasing function. As the research progresses, we have noticed that it has a potential as a communication system for the blind with multimedia interactions. To implement the system, we made a pair of terminals and connected them by a network cable and developed communication software for a whiteboard application. Using the system, a pair of blind users can make and share tactile image information with each other. We describe results of a simple experiment in which one subject tried to transmit simple drawings to the other subject using this system. The tactile display’s resolution presented the difficulty in transmitting a circle, but the results were useful when transmitting shapes based on straight lines. Even when the subject is a circle, it is recognized when prior information is available. In addition to the communication software, we developed a type of ping-pong game for the system. The ball is shown by four pins arranged in a square and it moves from side to side. To play the game, players must hit the ball with a racket controlled by the stylus pen. The experiment with blind players showed that they could enjoy this game.