Design and Testing of an Auditory Graphics Display for the Visually Impaired

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atmire.migration.oldid5243
dc.contributor.advisorGoldsmith, Peter
dc.contributor.authorMasternak, Christopher
dc.contributor.committeememberOehlberg, Lora
dc.contributor.committeememberNowicki, Ed
dc.contributor.committeememberYanushkevich, Svetlana
dc.contributor.committeememberMalik, Om
dc.contributor.committeememberGoldsmith, Peter
dc.date.accessioned2017-01-10T21:57:10Z
dc.date.available2017-01-10T21:57:10Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractThe main objective of this thesis is to quantify and compare the relative accuracy of different auditory rendering schemes. These schemes are used in a visual-to-auditory sensory substitution device that renders graphical objects as sound. The device is portable, as it only requires a tablet, stylus and headphones. Current auditory displays perform a horizontal sweep of an image and produce sounds for each column of pixels, with pixel height represented by pitch and brightness represented by loudness. This approach is noisy, has low resolution, and is difficult to interpret. We propose a more efficient encoding in which lines, curves, and shapes are traced out in time by a cursor whose position is represented by sound. This method also provides real-time auditory feedback to the blind user as he draws, thus providing a training mechanism that maps auditory cues to kinaesthetic cues. Different auditory schemes are used to represent the position of the moving stylus or cursor. We compare their relative performance quantitatively using such metrics as perceived position, size, and aspect ratio of sound-rendered points, lines and ellipses. In contrast, previous research on auditory rendering schemes has been more qualitative in nature.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMasternak, C. (2016). Design and Testing of an Auditory Graphics Display for the Visually Impaired (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25576en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25576
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3552
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEngineering--Biomedical
dc.titleDesign and Testing of an Auditory Graphics Display for the Visually Impaired
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineBiomedical Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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