Objective
POVES aims at the development of optoelectronic spectacles which make use of image enhancement and image manipulation techniques in order to improve mobility of visually impaired persons, in particular individuals with night and colour blindness, decrease of visual field and disturbance of contrast vision.
About 80% of all information processed by an individual in everyday life is of visual origin. However more than 3 million Europeans can not make full use of this information due to various kinds of visual impairments. As a consequence, mobility, reading capability, professional and leisure activities of this group of handicapped are severely restricted. Traditional aids for the visually impaired mainly aim at the improvement of stationary reading ability (e.g. closed circuit TV), but only a few aids with limited stationary scope aim at improving orientation (e.g. conventional monoculars).
By contrast, POVES makes use of modern opto-electronic technology in order to develop a small-size head worn device to improve everyday mobility and ambulant perception of the environment by the visually impaired.
POVES will be a modular system to be used by persons with the following types of visual handicap:
- Night blindness
- Decrease of visual field in the centre
- Decrease of visual field in the periphery
- Colour blindness
- Disturbance of contrast vision and of acuity.
Technical Approach : The project will be carried out in five phases.
In the preparatory phase an in-depth study of eye disorders and their effect of vision as well as a quick market study of potential POVES users will be made. The phase will also include a description of the state of the art and an investigation of test and learning methods for users.
During the simulation phase component simulators will be developed to test image transformation software and to define system specifications.
In the third phase, integrated functional systems will be designed (on bread board) for the different classes of visual impairment. Also extensive field trials with well selected samples of visually impaired persons will take place in order to evaluate and optimise the system and to define learning strategies.
The fourth phase serves to develop the prototype of a night vision system and to design POVES for other classes of visual impairment.
Finally, documentation and production preparation of the night vision aid will be completed.
POVES will consist of two main components:
The spectacle part with the reception function (e.g. CCD-camera) and the image display function (e.g. LCD) as well as the pocket part with the processing function and the energy function.
Impact and Expected Results : By the end of the bridge phase of TIDE, the POVES project will have developed the prototype of a night vision aid for ambulant use by persons suffering from night blindness and disturbed contrast vision. Also the design of POVES for other classes of visual impairments (e.g. tunnel vision) will be completed.
Once on the market, this device will substantially increase independent mobility of night blind persons after sunset and contribute to the improvement of access to the workplace in particular during the winter season. Results of R&D as well as components of POVES will have a much wider market than the visually impaired and the people working during the night: Miniaturised hardware components as well as software functions may be transferred to other industrial applications.
Acceptance of POVES by users will not only depend on its final price and user-friendliness but also on its uptake by rehabilitation teachers, health insurance systems and state support agencies.
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
65731 Eschborn
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.