SeeScan; a mobile PDA phone service providing automated access to object recognit

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of the proposed research is to take advantage of recent advances in object recognition algorithms and availability of nationwide wireless broadband networks to develop "See Scan"; a camera enabled mobile PDA phone service providing access to object recognition for people with vision loss. The intent is to increase functional independence by providing a mobile system with which the person can: (1) easily and quickly detect and locate a specific object, and (2) be apprised of the presence of an object within a specific set of objects. In the first case, the object to be located may be a specific box of cereal; in the second case, the object being recognized may be a denomination of money (e.g., $5 bill) within a set of monetary denominations. Such service will be accomplished through the development of a system that employs an accessible mobile camera phone to capture and transmit still images and live video to a remote computer (or server) for object recognition processing. Once an object is recognized, text to speech output will name the object and assist the person in moving toward it. The intent is to increase functional independence by providing a mobile system with which the person with vision loss can: (1) easily and quickly detect and locate a specific object, and (2) be apprised of the presence of an object within a specific set of objects. In the first case, the object to be located may be a specific box of cereal; in the second case, the object being recognized may be a denomination of money (e.g., $5 bill) within a set of monetary denominations.