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Blind control interface for games


Walsingham

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I was thinking (i've had a high fever) about the notion of creating an interface so that blind persons can play Obsidian games. I had a couple of ideas, and was wondering what we could come up with. Bear in mind they have to work with the mainstream coding of the game.

 

- A tactile screen of some kind to relay tactical data. Something like an etch-sketch in reverse.

- A vocaliser, for reading out information displayed as text

- the pause function in most Obs/Black Isle games should help immensely, by slowing up play into manageable chunks

- character-centred sound could help

 

Do we have any blind gamers on the board already?

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

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I've made many claims to being a blind gamer. I use a braille monitor.

"Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater."
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I was thinking (i've had a high fever) about the notion of creating an interface so that blind persons can play Obsidian games. I had a couple of ideas, and was wondering what we could come up with. Bear in mind they have to work with the mainstream coding of the game.

 

- A tactile screen of some kind to relay tactical data. Something like an etch-sketch in reverse.

- A vocaliser, for reading out information displayed as text

- the pause function in most Obs/Black Isle games should help immensely, by slowing up play into manageable chunks

- character-centred sound could help

 

Do we have any blind gamers on the board already?

 

 

 

I remember a study that had a blind person place some time of flat plastic on their tongue, and that tongue would depict an image that was on an attached monitor, and the blind persons were quite successful (and very excited) about being able to recognize objects through the electronic pulses that the flat plastic conveyed. There was another example of them using it on someone that had no sense of touch, outside of the top of their head. So they put the application on their forehead, and they enjoyed limited success with it as well, "seeing" landscapes and whatnot for the first time. Though the forehead was met with limited success, and they speculated it had something to do with the sensitivity, as well as acclimatization.

 

Unfortunately I do not remember the name of the device. It was demonstrated on a video in one of my psychology classes.

 

 

On the other hand, you can always give them this

Edited by alanschu
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Nice link, Alan. Such a device would be great boon for those who suffer from blindness.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Well, I hope they made some progress on it. I have a friend who could use a system like that. He has a degenerative optic nerves in both eyes which is causing his blindness. His eyes work perfectly, they just can get any information to the brain.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Well, I hope they made some progress on it. I have a friend who could use a system like that. He has a degenerative optic nerves in both eyes which is causing his blindness. His eyes work perfectly, they just can get any information to the brain.

 

 

Well, the linked object also requires electrodes to be attached to the surface of the brain, which may make it prohibitively expensive and dangerous.

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True enough, but he often stated that he would go through such an operation if it allowed him to see. Can't blame him.

Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer.

 

@\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?"

Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy."

Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand"

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Well, I hope they made some progress on it.

 

The first system have been installed, but they didn't give back as much sight as the developers had hoped. However, those who got the surgery were only the "beta testers," so the next attempt should prove more fruitful... :thumbsup:

"Geez. It's like we lost some sort of bet and ended up saddled with a bunch of terrible new posters on this forum."

-Hurlshot

 

 

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Thanks for that. The tongue thing sounds a little alarming, but mechanically sound. I take it, therefore that no direct interface would be required? I was thinking of having a simplified feed, rather than providing someone with sight.

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

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