Dan,
I meant to include that point also. it is so true that many technological innovations are helpful for people who are blind as well as a much broader audience. I know that is what I always emphasize on any projects that I am a part of. Just to clarify, our research group was not a part of the Look Tell project(s).
===================================================
Terri Hedgpeth, Ed.D.
Director, Disability Resource Center
PO Box 873202
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-3202
Assistant: (480) 965-3366
Direct: (480) 727-8133
Fax: (480) 965-0441
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
==================================================
Civil Rights protection for people with disabilities is a movement from viewing persons with disabilities as "objects" of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing persons with disabilities as "subjects" with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active members of society.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dan Rossi
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 1:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] Indoor Navigation?
People do realize that many many modern products and services came out of quote research quote from universities, right? Pretty much all medical research is done at the university level. Pretty much all robotics research, including autonomous navigation is done in universities. Much of that technology gets migrated to private hands. That is why we have an entire office, here at CMU, dedicated to technology transfer.
I will completely agree that many times, hype is put out there, and these are student projects and they don't get very far. I was involved in several projects doing currency identification and bar code reading using cell phones, here at CMU working with students, long before you were able to purchase LookTell. But those projects never got migrated out of the research arena.
I will also point out that interior navigation has huge implications for everyone, not just the blind. How great would it be for any person, to walk into an unfamiliar mall and be able to have their phone show them the way to a store. Or, walk into an airport and quickly see all the shops available and then a guided map to one they select. That is just as useful for a sighted person as a blind person. As long as they pitch these kinds of projects as being quote for the blind quote, they will go nowhere. Once they do it for everyone, it becomes much more possible because you don't have the small community issue to deal with.
And, lastly, if you have bothered to read this far, Google is already doing it. You can already get guided directions in a dozen airports, and a whole bunch of casinos in Vegas, since they did all the mapping prior to the Computer Electronics Show.
--
Blue skies.
Dan Rossi
Senior Oracle Database Administrator
Carnegie Mellon University.
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel: (412) 268-9081
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
Signoff: [log in to unmask]
Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
Signoff: [log in to unmask]
Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
|
