A reading system for the blind based on geometrical shapes

Abstract

This paper illustrates an alternative optically based system for the purpose of reading textual information for the visually impaired. The textual alphabet character information, in particular, Arabic and/or English is first converted to geometrical shape symbols. These symbols are optically simple to recognize. Scanners are used to produce the corresponding signals for the processor system for determination of the alphabetic character and produce the appropriate signals to be used as inputs to the voice synthesis system. A special keyboard as an input peripheral for entering the geometrical shape set into a computer is presented. The proposed system facilitates to the blind student a textual leading machine in a multilanguage environment as well as being an alternative to Braille code representation. © 1988.