We propose to design and build a prototype of a computer-based device which would enable blind person to read the liquid crystal and LED displays commonly found on electronic appliances (fax machines, copiers, telephones, consumer electronics). Such a """"""""display-reader"""""""" would be indispensable to a great number of blind and visually impaired persons, a population estimated to number at least 3 million in the United States alone. The device will be built from a small CCD camera, a PC computer, and a speech and audio output device. Our approach is to use the technology and algorithms of image understanding (segmentation, OCR, pattern matching) to make a general display-reader that can be used to read many different visual displays. The resulting prototype would ultimately lead to a commercial product consisting of a portable, hand-held computer device using a miniature camera for input, and a speech synthesizer for output. The user would hold the device in a prescribed fashion in front of an appliance, and it would read out the current display auditorially.
