Read Me

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* Das Blindensehersatzsystem "SeebyTouch"   (english version see below)
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! Infos zum Übersetzen und Installieren gibt es in der Datei "Install"!


SeebyTouch ist das einzige zur Verfügung stehende Open Source
Projekt zum Ertasten von Bildern für blinde und sehende Menschen!
Durch das Programm und die Bauanleitung für die taktile
Ausgabeeinheit lassen sich beliebige Bilder ertasten! SeebyTouch
ist für für 10 Betriebssysteme erhältlich - und das völlig
kostenlos!



Weitere Informationen zu SeebyTouch gibt es auf der Projekt-Homepage:
http://see-by-touch.sourceforge.net

Neuigkeiten, die neuste Version von SeebyTouch und Diskussionsforen
gibt es hier: http://sourceforge.net/projects/see-by-touch




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* The tactile vision substitution system "SeebyTouch"     (deusch oben)
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! For information about compiling and installation see file "Install" !


The name of the project is "SeebyTouch". It is the first free available
tactile vision substitution system.

The aim of "SeebyTouch" is providing a possibility to get pictures
over the tactile sense. This is especially important for blind
people, because they can't see pictures on a screen.


The project consists of two parts: First the software, which
translates usual computer pictures to a special format for the
tactile display. Second a construction manual to allow everyone to
assemble a tactile display.


The software is published under the GNU General Public License. It is
written in the language C++, using Qt. Qt is a multiplatform C++
GUI application framework from Trolltech. There is a free Unix/X11
version of Qt available for development of Free and Open Source
software.

Software is written using the integrated development environment
"KDevelop" on a Linux system. But there are a good deal more
platforms the software is running, too: IBM AIX, SGI IRIX, HP-UX,
Sun Solaris, Tru64, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X and even
Windows.

The software is proved on Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD and Windows
systems and it works perfectly. Meanwhile it is available for many
languages and a user's manual is part of the software.

The construction manual is published under the GNU Free
Documentation License. It provides all information to assemble the
tactile display of customary parts. A tactile impression in
relation of user's hand position is made by piezoelectric
actuators. The position is determinated by an ordinary computer
mouse.


Now the features of the software:

* Handling of pictures in the following formats: Bitmap (BMP),
  Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Graphic Interchange File Format
  (GIF), JPEG (JPG) and X PixMap format (XPM).

* Creating various patterns of different colors for testing purposes.

* Printing pictures and patterns.

* Onscreen zoom of pictures and patterns.

* A huge amount of possibilities to transform the visual picture
  to a tactile picture: Various settings how tactile output depends
  on luminance and chrominance of the picture. Control settings for
  the transformation of intensity to duty cycle or frequencies of
  the piezoelectric actuators. Various settings about how to
  advice the user if he is moving outside the picture and settings
  affecting the resolution of the output on the tactile display.

* Connecting the tactile display over serial port or USB with various
  baudrates.

* Access to the tactile display: Different numbers of piezoelectric
  actuators are possible. The movement of the user and the piezoelectric
  actuators is shown on the screen.

* A logfile of all events is automatically created.

* "What's this?" and "flyover" help.



You will find more detailed information on the project homepage:
http://see-by-touch.sourceforge.net/index_.html

News, the latest version of SeebyTouch and discussion forums
you will find here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/see-by-touch