visual impairment
FINAL DESIGN
As mentioned before the final product, ISE, is a device which helps people with a visual impairment to recognize various food and non food products.
ISE
Functions
The function of the camera is to scan barcodes of various products and to recognize the expiration dates of the products. The products can range from packaged food to cleaning supplies. It can also recognize different vegetables and fruits. After the device scans the product the audio speaker reads the name and expiration date of the product out loud for the user. (Voice: "milk" "10 10 21" )
The volume button is added, because most blind people develop enhanced abilities for other senses, like smelling and hearing, according to research done by The Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear. So adding the volume button to the device gives the user the option to reduce or increase the volume to their liking.
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The function of the motion sensor is to recognize movement and starting to scan without having to add an on/off-button. For a visual impaired person it might be hard to recognize the various buttons on the device, so adding a motion sensor which turns on the camera whenever a product is positioned in front of the camera would make the device turn on. So the user would not have to find an on/off button and it saves energy .
Another function of the sensor is to scan the distance between the product and the scanner and then activates a vibration in the hand held part. This way the user knows that the product has the right distance (not too close to the camera or not too far away) and is being fully scanned.
The flashlight that gets activated through the motion sensor is added to the design for the camera to better read the expiration date and/or barcode. For a person who is visually impaired it might be hard to recognize when it is dark or getting darker in the room. So adding the flashlight would make it easier for the camera to read the barcodes and/or expiring date without the user having to perform additional actions.
Lastly, the scanner has a charger which can be mounted to the wall, but also placed on the kitchen counter or table. When the user is done with the scanner it can be put in the holder and will charge. It combines holding and charging the product. Besides, the charger has a button which can be used to find the scanner. If the user presses that button, the scanner will make a sound, so the user (who is blind) can find the scanner by using sound.
The final design contains the following functions:
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Camera
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Motion sensor
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Volume buttons
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Flashlight
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Audio speaker
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Wall charger
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"lost" button
Reasoning
There were several reasons why we went with this design. First of all, by doing extensive co-design methods and by just talking to our specific user it became apparent that she likes to be independent in her daily life. One problem area was recognizing food and non food products in the kitchen and pantry. Different types of laundry detergents and canned soups were really difficult for her to recognize for example. She had to either taste, guess, fumble with apps or ask for help. Another problem was with the expiration date, existing apps or products did not read the expiration date and when she forgot about a product she never knew when it was expired. Combining these two difficulties in her daily life, the co-designer was not independent enough for her liking. Besides this simple tasks took way too long. This is why a product scanner (working with a camera) is chosen.
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Furthermore, it was a difficulty deciding between some type of app and/or a physical product. When discussing with the co-designer it became apparent that many apps on the market just did not work for her. It took a while to navigate in the app or even scan the barcode.
Most apps also read everything on the package, just like the app Seeing AI (made by microsoft). It then takes a while to get the information needed, which is counterproductive as time was an issue for her. With doing research it also became clear that smartphone cameras were not strong enough for reading the expiration date. Looking at all this, designing a physical product is chosen.
Lastly, we discussed between a stationary scanner and a scanner which is portable. For us it seemed useful to have a stationary scanner at the fridge, so things like charging or holding the scanner right were not an issue. However when discussing with our co designer it became more apparent that she would appreciate a portable scanner more. As sometimes she wanted to scan heavy items like laundry detergent. This process really highlights the importance of a co-designer when designing for specific users.
Storyboard
