2/13/2015 BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: Image processing and neural networks assist the blind  Vision Systems Design http://www.visionsystems.com/articles/2009/12/biomedicalresearchimageprocessingandneuralnetworksassisttheblind.html 1/8 BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: Image processing and neural networks assist the blind Agerelated macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are two of the major causes of loss of eyesight, leaving patients with difficulty reading, sewing, or discerning faces. In severe cases, these patients may lose their vision entirely. To aid those suffering from such conditions, Eng. Enas Elbarbary of VACSERA (Cairo, Egypt; www.vacsera.com), Ass. Prof. Hussam Elbehiery of the Air Defense Forces (Cairo, Egypt), and Prof. Abdelhalim Zekry and Prof. Adel Elhennawy of Ain shams University (Cairo, Egypt; www.shams.edu.eg) have developed a portable system, known as the Blind Assistant, to help the visually impaired recognize their surrounding objects and avoid dangerous situations. This automated system consists of a portable camera interfaced to a mobile computer that uses imageprocessing techniques and neural networks to detect objects and their colors and provide pathplanning aids. Using the MATLAB Image Acquisition Toolbox from The Mathworks (Natick, MA, USA; www.mathworks.com), images from the camera are first captured as objects where their settings can be edited and stored. To allow surrounding objects, characters, traffic signs, and currency to be interpreted, the system uses The Mathworks’ Neural Network Toolbox for pattern recognition, a separate algorithm to determine the color of an object, and template matching for path planning. By employing a sound card in the portable computer, specific Home NonIndustrial Vision BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: Image processing and neural networks assist the blind HOME FACTORY AUTOMATION NONINDUSTRIAL VISION CAMERAS BOARDS & SOFTWARE PRODUCTS SUBSCRIBE | ADVERTISE