Researchers Develop Adaptive Technology for Visually Impaired Engineers 
From: University of Kansas Daily Headlines - 10/11/2007

By adding features to commonly used chemical-engineering software packages,
researchers at the University of Arkansas, the University of Akron and
Chemstations Inc. have developed adaptive technology that allows blind or
visually impaired students and working professionals to perform the essential
functions of chemical-engineering process design. 

Read the entire article at:
http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/11589.htm
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/534225/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012095826.htm

Links:
Chemstations
http://www.chemstations.net/

Contacts:
Bob Beitle
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Louis Owen Professor of Green Chemical Process Design and Development
Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
479/575-7566
rbeitle@uark.edu
http://www.engr.uark.edu/34.htm
http://www.cheg.uark.edu/faculty.asp?id=4

Douglas Behrend
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
479/575-4256
dbehrend@uark.edu

Matt McGowan
Science and Research Communications Officer
University Relations
479/575-4246
dmcgowa@uark.edu

Submitted by Gregg Vanderheiden

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daptive Technology Software Helps Visually Impaired Engineers
From: NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 11/28/2007

By adding features to commonly used chemical-engineering software packages,
researchers at the University of Arkansas, the University of Akron, and
Chemstations Inc. have developed adaptive technology that allows blind or
visually impaired students and working professionals to perform the essential
functions of chemical-engineering process design. 

The team created a system that combines tactile, Braille-like representations
that can be "read" by visually impaired chemical engineers. The system also
includes an audio, screen-reading component and audible indicators of certain
software functions. Researchers have also overcome a major obstacle
associated with the user function of dragging and dropping or copying and
pasting. A tablet computer with a customized overlay, a tablet pen
functioning as a computer mouse, and alignment holes mapped to the tactile
objects help facilitate the drag-and-drop function, which is the method that
connects the system operations.  

The team converted GUIs into TUIs (tactile user interfaces). The system
includes a TabletPC that simulates a notepad and a pen-based mouse. Most
importantly, the system uses custom-made tactiles - small objects embossed
with patterns that represent various GUI icons that symbolize parts, such as
valves, pumps, and reactors - and an overlay that is placed on the screen.
The tactiles adhere to the overlay. Alignment holes on the tactiles allow
users to place them at desired locations on the overlay and thus build
process-flow diagrams. 

Read the entire article at:
http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/11589.htm
