Toucable maps for the blind.

Researchers in Greece have developed a new system that converts video into virtual, touchable maps for the blind. The three-dimensional maps use force fields to represent walls and roads so the visually impaired can better understand the layout of buildings and cities.
"Imagine I'm blind and I want to come to New York," says Konstantinos Moustakas, lead researcher on the virtual mapping project and a graduate student at Aristotle University of Thessaloníki in Greece. "I should have a map.

The article continues:
"Two common-touch interfaces simulate the force fields by applying pressure to the user's hand: the CyberGrasp glove, which pulls on individual fingers, and the Phantom Desktop, which applies a single force to the hand via a wand. Moustakas said the process is somewhat like trying to identify an object by running a finger or wand along its surface.

Virtual, touchable maps, also known as haptic maps, have been created before, but they were made using stereoscopic movies, which require special cameras. Moustakas' system works with a standard video camera.

Moustakas also developed a system that converts pictures of traditional paper maps into a three-dimensional street map. Users run a finger or wand down the grooved roads of the virtual map, while street names are automatically read aloud."

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