Easi Congratulates Arizona on the award. We look forward to new and exciting
developments.
Norman Coombs nrcgsh@rit.edu
NSF PPD Award # HRD-96-10289
Arizona State University
Principal Investigator: Anshuman Razdan
Title: "Scientific Visualization Using Tactile Feedback for
Visually Impaired Students."
ABSTRACT
Scientific visualization provides scientists with tools to model
and visually observe three dimensional data. This technique has
advanced scientific understanding in numerous scientific fields
such as biology, chemistry and engineering. The traditional
method of visualization is to model the data into one of the many
surface modeling schemes and display the data on a computer
screen. This approach has obvious limitations for people that
are visually impaired. This project will test a novel way to
provide analogous information to these individuals whether they
are students, scientists or researchers. Data are modeled in the
normal manner, but instead of displaying the model on a computer
screen, a three-dimensional wax-based model will be created. The
data, after being geometrically modeled, will be converted into a
physical model using a Layered Manufacturing (Rapid Prototyping)
machine. The tactile model will maintain the appropriate ratios
so as not to distort the proportions of the data. A Scanning
Probe Microscope (SPM) has been chosen as the test-bed to provide
3D data. A SPM is used to probe objects on a nano scale and its
output is inherently three dimensional. The only way to
currently observe experiments and data performed on SPM is a
visual display on a screen. With the proposed technique, a
visually impaired student will be able to feel the surface
representation of the 3D data on the physical model as seen on a
SPM. The use of 3D physical models for tactile feedback will be
developed in three Arizona State University classes: a junior
level course in Chemical Engineering; a sophomore level course in
Physical Science for in-service and preservice teachers, and a
junior level interdisciplinary science course. Activities will
be created to demonstrate the viability, importance and success
of this project. Workshops will be organized to bring educators,
scientists, special education teachers and students to both
evaluate and provide input to this project. The project has
broad implications for science education for all students because
they will be able to touch, feel and observe tangible three-
dimensional data models..
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