title: Simulated prosthetic vision: improving text accessibility with retinal prostheses.
abstract: Image processing can improve significantly the every-day life of blind people wearing current and upcoming retinal prostheses relying on an external camera. We propose to use a real-time text localization algorithm to improve text accessibility. An augmented text-specific rendering based on automatic text localization has been developed. It has been evaluated in comparison to the classical rendering through a Simulated Prosthetic Vision (SPV) experiment with 16 subjects. Subjects were able to detect text in natural scenes much faster and further with the augmented rendering compared to the control rendering. Our results show that current and next generation of low resolution retinal prostheses may benefit from real-time text detection algorithms.
authors.forename: Gregoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jouffrais
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mailhes
authors.forename: Marc J-M
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mace
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D057488:Visual Prosthesis