slashdot.org/articles/02/07/01/129246.shtml?tid=152
We could get some very good works that would otherwize not existed. Very similar to software that lets blind people use computers for general use. It's all about using technology to let everyone have access, and become productive members of society. Is it like (Score:1) by 117 af_robot (553885) on Monday July 01, @07:39AM ( 118 #3799979) some kind of MUD game for the blind? Perhaps it's just a metaphor to make it easier to understand, but the keypad on a phone is upside down compared to the number pad on a computer keyboard. It would be rather confusing if the instructions said "press 1 for the top left corner," and you had to press the key that you were used to thinking of as "7". If this is a problem, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to add an option to invert the pad - rather like GUIs will let you use a mouse left-handed or right-handed. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that a blind person can draw if you give them the right tools. The main skill in drawing is observing things accurately - even if you draw from imagination, you're often remembering details of things you've seen. If you can't see your surroundings, then moving around without bumping into things or injuring yourself requires you to build an accurate mental model of the environment in 3 dimensions - observe it, in other words. Now press the button you intuitively think it's the upper left. I don't care about the former (as I have reached the karma cap), but the latter bothers me, so I suppose I should explain myself. James Landay was grossly overselling the capabilities of this new drawing tool. Also, the car was by someone who was blind from birth and has no experience drawing or using the program (IC2D). Also, the car was by someone who was blind from birth and has no experience drawing or using the program (IC2D). On the other hand, with force feedback being an option these days I'd think blind people would have some advantage drawing 3D shapes at the very least and being able to do some mostly decent 2D drawings if the stylus would "bump" over lines already drawn (there is already a mouse that can do force-feedback and is thusly a good choice of tools for blind-rendered art). I don't want to minimize the importance of this tool either. The point--I forget where I read it--about trying to imagine using a traditional paint program with the monitor turned off really makes you realize just how hard drawing would be without something like this. Star Trek quote (Score:2) by 143 codexus (538087) on Monday July 01, @08:47AM ( 144 #3800032) This story reminded me of this Star Trek episode where Riker says: "A blind man teaching an android to paint? When will a blind man come along that will draw the greatest paintings? One end was placed against the harp and he held the other end between his teeth. Probably the kind of things that would make a powerful impression on anyone. Honestly, I'd like to see a good blind artist become famous, it would be neat to see what people think. It would be true art (and not in the Santa Fe sense, where you could barf on a canvas and sell it for $2700) Positioning the mouse. Kamel's works I realised, according to the counter, that I was the 1st person to visit the page. Kamel is not tone deaf and there is the problem with repositioning the mouse to some point on the canvas. Is there any reason there could not be some sort of tonal feedback from the canvas to indicate where the mouse is positioned? I don't have time to invent it but the technology exists. We're talking sensors the size of a pixel and a modified mouse. The results are quite mixed (you try using only sound to find the exact point again out of several hundred unique points). The fact that it requires a visual component is more of an afterthought. If I place an object in a black bag and have someone place their hand inside, feel the object, and then draw a picture of it (either by hand or some other means) with their eyes closed, the individual should still have an understanding of what the object is. I am left wondering how many of the people posting here that have commented on what a blind person can or can not do have actually seen, spoken to, or worked with a visually impaired or totally blind person. Judging by most of the comments here I would say not too many. A number of years ago a friend of mine (yes, who was blind) made a comment to me. The idea behind MouseGrid is precisely the basis for IC2D--dividing up a region into 3 x 3 squares, homing in by subdividing each subregion into 3 x 3 squares, etc; I have seen no mention of Dragon Naturally Speaking on the IC2D web site. I'm beginning to think that the Bakers are the only true innovators in natural language processing. It is of course different in that Dragon's requires a visual interface, but it is indeed a quite similar idea (and that is more evidence it is a good idea). We have no problem crediting their work in future papers. Interactive Games for the Blind (Score:1) by 193 Purple Recluse (449878) on Monday July 01, @04:08PM ( 194 #3803165) This reminds me of a company, Zform, that is starting up interactive games for the blind. I wonder how much longer it will be before the blind can get addicted to EverQuest like the seeing. Kennedy at the University of Toronto, a Cognitive Psychology prof who's been working with blind children for years. The link will take you to the course notes, which includes excerpts from his book. You can also imagine priting the drawings out in a physical format they can feel. Re:an advertising campaign (Score:1) by 208 buck_wild (447801) on Tuesday July 02, @07:32PM ( 209 #3811699) Offtopic? 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