OF RESEARCH PLAN: State the application's long-term objectives and specific aims, making reference to the health-relatedness of the project, describe concisely the methodology for achieving these goals, and discuss the potential of the research for technological innovation and commercial application. Avoid summaries of past accomplishments and the use of the first person. Civilized Software seeks to provide innovative methods for producing tactile graphics for the visually impaired.
We aim to develop an efficient computer-driven system, """"""""MapUp"""""""", to make low-relief mold for moderate-volume reproduction jobs at centralize sits. End users (sighted or assisted) will use existing graphics-producing software to create images for transmission to the center via floppy or modem. The images will be converted by MapUp's software component into command files for mold-making machinery. Phase I MapUp routines will: input an image in a popular bitmap format for on-screen viewing; convert it using image processing to a vectorized MapUp-format file; convert the MapUp file to either PostScript for verification, or to milling machine CNC codes. Using theses routines, sample bitmaps will generate Phase I evaluative single-level tactile molds. We will also begin novel multi-level modeling and additional Phase II routines. The project also features hardware advances in mold-production media and equipment, involving adaptation of commercial or prototype machinery,, or assembly of new equipment from components. Porous materials as a media for thermoform molds will be explored, as will specific mold-making machinery: CNC machines or components, depositional printer emulators, and related rapid-prototypers.
