Both this idea and the one about using codes for identifying items and also the wider database idea of Darragh are excellent. I think though tim the very simple one of a colour identifier would of massively wide application in the population of both the vips as we normally think of them and those sighted people who are colour blind. So many things have distinctive colour patterns, from clothes to in my case goat identifiers. I know all mine individually by a range of things like pattern of horns and udder shape and collar type and bells and so on, but for the benefit of volunteers who work with me, until they know who is who, each is identified with a simple piece of insulation tape on their collar, identifying which pen they sleep in, by the tape colour. Also if I have an animal which requires special treatment, medication or feeding, it will have a second different colour of tape. It would be so much simpler, if in doubt, for me too, just to check the tape colour. The only problem is the degree of discrimination required, as colour is an entirely cultural construct of division in the colour of light wavelength reflected, witness arguments about turquoise amongst our sighted brethren. Is it bluie green or greenie blue. or the riddle I just inadvertently thought of, When is an orange not an orange? when its a yellow.
I assume these problems have been solved if there are colour identifying devices, but an ap on a phone would undoubtedly be much cheaper and therefore more useable for most people.
Ed----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Culhane" <tim.culhane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 10:41 AM Subject: [vicsireland] Re: application wish list Hi Mark, What about a colour identifier? You hold the camera lense against an object. It takes a picture and reports the colour. Alternatively, this might be done using infrared? Perhaps this already exists? I know there are stand alone devices which report colour of objects, but it would be handy to have it on your phone. Tim -----Original Message-----
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mark Magennis Sent: 16 June 2010 09:41 To: IrelandVIPnews; Vics Mailing List Subject: [vicsireland] application wish list If you could have someone build you a simple application that would run on your mobile phone or on a tablet computer like the Apple iPad (assuming you had one) and do one thing very well, what would you want it to do? Digital Media students (MSc and undergrad) are looking for project suggestions for socially useful design and development projects in digital media. Anything involving mobile apps or iPad apps is particularly attractive to them at the moment and they are very capable. It would have to be something small enough to be doable - don't suggest an all-singing, all-dancing GPS navigation tool for example - but some of these students are hugely talented and can produce great things. One recent example I've seen is an application to help older people keep in touch with family and friends. It gave integrated access to a few basic functions such as email, video Skype, etc. via a simple user interface running on a tablet PC and tailored around the accessibility needs of older people. Simple, effective and useful. That's the kind of thing that can be achieved in these projects. So if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them and will propose them to the students. Mark Dr. Mark Magennis Director of the Centre for Inclusive Technology (CFIT) NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) Whitworth Road, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland Tel: +353 (0)1 882 1956 www.cfit.ie ******************************************************************** National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a company limited by guarantee (registered in Ireland No. 26293) . Our registered office is at Whitworth Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. NCBI is also a registered Charity (chy4626). NOTICE: The information contained in this email and any attachments is confidential and may be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you should not use, disclose, distribute or copy any of the content of it or of any attachment; you are requested to notify the sender immediately of your receipt of the email and then to delete it and any attachments from your system. NCBI endeavours to ensure that emails and any attachments generated by its staff are free from viruses or other contaminants. However, it cannot accept any responsibility for any such which are transmitted. We therefore recommend you scan all attachments. Please note that the statements and views expressed in this email and any attachments are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of NCBI ******************************************************************** ==================== The vicsireland mailing list To unsubscribe at any time send a mail to: vicsireland-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe", without the quotes in the subject of the message. To contact the moderator send mail to: tim.j.culhane@xxxxxxxxx For mor information on the Visually Impaired Computer Society visit: http://www.vicsireland.org ==================== The vicsireland mailing list To unsubscribe at any time send a mail to: vicsireland-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxwith the word "unsubscribe", without the quotes in the subject of the message.
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