Monkeys cured of colour blindness- next target humans

Scientists cure colour blindness in monkeys - humans next?
Researchers have delivered promising results by successfully treating two squirrel monkeys with defective colour perception using a gene therapy that could also safely eradicate colour blindness in humans. Millions of people around the world, including 3.5 million Americans, 13 million people in India and 16 million in China, are affected by colour blindness. It is a congenital problem, largely experienced by men, that renders its sufferers incapable of discerning mainly red and green hues: seemingly trivial but, in reality, a necessity for everyday practicalities such as recognizing traffic lights.

According to Jay Neitz, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington, “Nothing happened for the first 20 weeks…but we knew right away when it began to work. It was as if they woke up and saw these new colours. The treated animals unquestionably responded to colours that had (previously) been invisible to them.” It has taken more than 18 months of testing the monkeys' ability to discern 16 hues, with some varying as much as 11-fold in intensity. The monkeys were able to trace colour patterns on a computer touch screen and, when they chose correctly, they were rewarded with grape juice.

Read more at: http://www.gizmag.com/scientists-cure-color-blindness-in-monkeys/12881/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=2f43e924c1-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Braille Label maker developed by students

Students design portable Braille label maker
Karina Pikhart ’09 displays the braille labelmaker she and her teammates designed, starting last year as a project in the Product Engineering Processes class (2.009). Photo - Patrick Gillooly;

One everyday problem for people who are blind or have very limited sight is distinguishing things that are completely identical to the sense of touch, such as different CDs and DVDs, or canned goods that are all the same size and shape. To cope with that difficulty, many people make Braille labels to attach to these items.

But the existing devices for doing this are either expensive and heavy — one costs about $650 and has limited portability — or light and inexpensive but very difficult for a blind person to operate, and limited in the number of characters they can imprint.

A team of MIT students in last fall's Product Engineering Processes (2.009) class searched for a better way. They came up with a prototype device that is small and easily portable, can produce the entire panoply of possible Braille characters (including commonly used two-character contractions), and can be relatively easily loaded and operated by touch. Although it is still under development, they hope the device, which they have named the 6dot Braille Labeler, can ultimately be produced for sale at around $200.

Some of the students continued to refine the product after the class ended, producing an improved version that won a $7,500 prize in the spring IDEAS competition (a joint project of the MIT Public Service Centre and the Edgerton Centre that recognizes innovations that benefit communities worldwide). Eight students from the mechanical engineering department, some who graduated in June and others who are still enrolled, joined by two others, are in the process of forming a company to continue development of the labeller. Over the summer they conducted field tests around the country with 25 potential users of the product, giving each about a half-hour to work with the device.

"Blind people really wanted to see this product on the market," says Karina Pikhart '09, who is CEO of the new company. "We worked really closely with blind people" in developing it, she says, because "you really can't develop a product without being in close touch with the people you're developing it for. They gave us a lot of good feedback." One of the comments they received was that the clear quality of the Braille produced by the device "felt like what really neat handwriting must look like," she says.
Read more at: http://web.mit.edu/press/2009/braille-0821.html

Flow Sensors Based on Hair Structures of Blind Cavefish

Researchers Develop Flow Sensors Based on Hair Structures of Blind Cavefish:

A blind fish that has evolved a unique technique for sensing motion may inspire a new generation of sensors that perform better than current active sonar.
Although members of the fish species Astyanax fasciatus cannot see, they sense their environment and the movement of water around them with gel-covered hairs that extend from their bodies. Their ability to detect underwater objects and navigate through their lightless environment inspired a group of researchers to mimic the hairs of these blind cavefish in the laboratory.

While the fish use these hairs to detect obstacles, avoid predators and localize prey, researchers believe the engineered sensors they are developing could have a variety of underwater applications, such as port security, surveillance, early tsunami detection, autonomous oil rig inspection, autonomous underwater vehicle navigation, and marine research.

Vladimir Tsukruk and graduate students Michael McConney and Kyle Anderson conducted preliminary experiments with a simple artificial hair cell microsensor. “After covering the hair cell with synthetic cupula, our bio-inspired microsensor had the ability to detect flow better than the blind fish. The fish can detect flow slower than 100 micrometers per second, but our system demonstrated flow detection of several micrometers per second”, said Tsukruk.

Read more at: http://www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/blind-cavefish.htm

Students develop cane with e-tags to guide blind

Students develop cane with e-tags to guide blind


This May 6, 2009 photo released by Central Michigan University shows Kevin Rock wearing glasses that simulate visual impairment to test a Smart Cane on the school's campus in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The cane is able to detect electronic navigational aid tags and help the blind avoid obstacles and reach their destinations.

An engineering professor and five students at Central Michigan University have created a "Smart Cane" to read electronic navigational tags installed between buildings to aid the blind in reaching their destinations more easily.

During the spring term, Yelamarthi and five senior engineering students tested the cane, which is equipped with Radio Frequency Identification technology, similar to what retailers put on products to keep them from being stolen. The Smart Cane contains an ultrasonic sensor that is paired with a miniature navigational system inside a messenger-style bag worn across the shoulder.

For the test, the students installed identification tags between two buildings on the campus in Mount Pleasant, Mich.. A speaker located on the bag strap gave audio alerts when the system detected an obstacle and told the user which direction to move. Students wearing glasses that simulate visual impairment tested the cane. The students also created a vibrating glove to assist those who are both visually and hearing-impaired.

Yelamarthi said it's one of the first outdoor applications of RFID and said he plans for students in upcoming classes to further refine the system while he seeks grants to speed the research. The next step probably involves using the system in a wider area. Down the line, Yelamarthi wants to work toward integrating the Smart Cane's data with GPS.

A Camera For the Blind

Touch Sight camera for the blind displays photos using Braille

Paradoxical as it sounds, the Touch Sight camera makes it possible for the visually impaired to take pictures. The photographer holds the camera up to his or her forehead, and a Braille-like screen on the back makes a raised image of whatever the lens sees.

“Touch Sight is a revolutionary digital camera designed for visually impaired people. Simple features make it easy to use, including a unique feature which records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. The user can then use the sound as reference when reviewing and managing the photos. Touch Sight does not have an LCD but instead has a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo. The sound file and picture document combine to become a touchable photo that is saved in the device and can be uploaded to share with others–and downloaded to other Touch Sight cameras.”

It is still a concept and is yet to hit the markets.
Read more at : http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/08/13/this-camera-is-outta-sight/