STTR Phase I: Thermal Imaging Aid to the Blind

This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer research develops a device to allow a blind person or individual with significant vision impairment to sense the location and movements of people in the immediate area. The device will utilize a new low cost and miniature thermal imaging sensor technology to detect the relative warmth of people and present the information to the user via a haptic, touch-sensitive interface. The ability of a person to interact socially is an important factor for integration and independence in educational settings, the workplace, and recreational activities. A blind person or an individual with significant vision impairment typically must rely solely on verbal or other audio cues to identify the locations of people and group activities. Groups of several people in a classroom or meeting setting are difficult to track dynamically. At social events such as parties, spectator sports, and stage presentations the ability to sense individual activities is important to full participation. The simple task of finding a seat in a crowded school cafeteria or auditorium can be difficult for a blind person to do independently. The broader impact of this project will be to provide a device using thermal imaging information to drive a haptic display enabling better lives for visually disabled persons.