Hello,

We made several research on this topic. Please refer to :
http://www.afb.org/jvib/JVIB960605.asp

Patrick

Andreas Granqvist wrote:

> Hi.
> I was just wondering if anyone here have tried this products, and if so,
> how good are they?
>
> Best wishes
> Andreas Granqvist
>
> At 15:22 2002-09-13 -0500, you wrote:
> >Hi All,
> >
> >Similar complementary tactile and auditory display
> >technology for the blind is also available from
> >the ifeelpixel and seeingwithsound websites. It
> >works with regular (affordable!) tactile mice as
> >also used by the sighted with games. The following
> >URLs give more information:
> >
> >(ifeelpixel for the tactile feedback)
> >http://www.ifeelpixel.com/description/
> >http://www.ifeelpixel.com/screenshots/#thevoice
> >
> >and
> >
> >(The vOICe for the soundscape feedback)
> >http://www.seeingwithsound.com/winvoice.htm
> >http://www.seeingwithsound.com/winmath.htm
> >
> >The ifeelpixel software is currently available
> >for beta testing, from the web page at the URL
> >
> >http://www.ifeelpixel.com/download/
> >
> >The ifeelpixel tactile mouse software and The vOICe
> >Learning Edition soundscape software are meant to be
> >used in combination, to give you a soundscape view of
> >any graphics while you check out the graphical details
> >with your tactile mouse. For instance, you may import
> >an image file into The vOICe software via its file
> >requester (Control o) to hear the corresponding (often
> >very complex) soundscape, and you can just maximize
> >The vOICe window to occupy the entire screen area. This
> >will then give you relevant tactile feedback from the
> >ifeelpixel software as you move the mouse pointer over
> >the screen area while you keep hearing the soundscape
> >overview of the full image. There are many other
> >possibilities and modes of working, but this hopefully
> >gives some idea. It may be used to access purely graphical
> >material such as graphs and function plots, but also
> >photographs, thus complementing what you can already
> >do with your screen reader.
> >
> >Best wishes,
> >
> >Peter Meijer
> >
> >
> >Seeing with Sound - The vOICe
> >http://www.seeingwithsound.com/winvoice.htm
> >
> >On Fri, 13 Sep 2002 09:20:58 -0400, Kennedy, Bud <[log in to unmask]>
> >wrote:
> >
> > >Scientists Develop Computer Mouse for the Blind
> > >Mon Sep 9, 9:32 AM ET
> > >
> > >LEICESTER, England (Reuters) - Scientists looking for ways to help blind
> > >people get more out of computers have developed a mouse that goes bump and
> > >combined
> > >it with sound representations of graphs that would otherwise be
> > >inaccessible.
> > >
> > >Mike Burton of Glasgow University told reporters at the British Association
> > >for the Advancement of Science (
> > >news -
> > >web sites)
> > >annual festival the mouse vibrated every time it met a line on a graph,
> > >giving a blind operator a tactile tip-off.
> > >
> > >"The technique is a very good way of presenting information to blind and
> > >sighted people," he said. "The bottom line is that the cheapest and most
> > >flexible
> > >solution works."
> > >
> > >Likening the jumping mouse to electronic Braille, Burton said one of the
> > >most daunting tasks facing visually impaired people was trying to
> >assimilate
> > >information
> > >giving an overview of data or events.
> > >
> > >Reinforcing the tactile jolt of the mouse, fellow Glasgow University
> > >scientist Stephen Brewster said his team had developed sound graphs that
> > >could be combined
> > >with the mouse.
> > >
> > >Lines on a graph were represented by tones that would vary in pitch
> > >according to whether the line was rising or falling.
> > >
> > >Several such tones could be used to represent different lines of the same
> > >graph as the user entered a "soundscape."
> > >
> > >"You can get across quite complex information just using sound," he said,
> > >adding that the technique could even be of use to sighted people such as
> > >share
> > >traders who could be alerted on their mobile phones by a tone representing
> >a
> > >move up or down.
> > >
> > >He declined to speculate on the sound of a stock market crash.
> >
> >
> >VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html