MEMORANDUM
To: Members And Friends
NFB R&D Committee
From: T. V. Cranmer, Chairman
Subject: Tactile graphics
Date: November 27, 1994
The reason we can't have tactual pictures that compare with visual
pictures is the difference in resolution in the two modes of
perception. That's according to the wisdom of a wizard under a
lone tree in the middle of a forest. You see, it's like this,
laser printers often boast a resolution of a thousand dots per
linear inch whilst braille graphics must be produced with as little
as twenty dots per linear inch. So, why can't we just enlarge the
tactile graphic by a factor of 1000 over 20 and obtain good tactile
pictures? The wizard didn't know.
I remember listening to a recording of Scientific American Magazine
in which the narrator explained that a full page picture of a patch
in the universe showed a depth of 600 hundred million light years
and a field of tens of millions of light years--all right there on
one glossy print. In astronomical terms, the scale of that
telescopic photograph was readily understandable. But, in terms of
household mechanics, how could I grasp it? If you can figure out
a way to conceptualize that picture in the reality you and I share,
I want you to tell me about it.
I have a budding notion that we blind guys have been asleep at the
switch during the centuries when visual arts have been developing.
And now, we don't have the parallel concepts or the tools for
producing tactile images--that anyone can make sense of.
So, what are we going to do with a braille plotter, when we build
one? Do we know the right textures, architectural symbols,
representations of common furniture and features so that we can
produce the best possible tactile representation of a hotel lobby,
the street layout of a neighborhood, or the topography of your
state? I am betting that members of this committee and interested
guests know a lot more than I about these matters and will
contribute their knowledge to future discussions.
Several years ago APH did some studies of areal symbols. Textures
and shaped elements were identified as recognizable representations
of paved, grassy, and other features of terrain. I don't know how
good the APH work was. I do know that I haven't seen a useful map
or drawing come from APH in a very long time. There is also a
group in New York working on tactile art depictions. While art may
not be our primary interest, this group may have something to teach
us about tactile representations.
Dr. Foulke comes to mind as the best choice for inquiring after the
APH research and giving us a report. I am prepared to appoint
other volunteers to develop reports on the NY art groups and other
projects that bear on our current interest. Don't be shy; call or
write if you want a piece of the action.
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