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Virtual Reality Technology for Blind and Visual Impaired People: Reviews and Recent Advances

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Advances in Robotics and Virtual Reality

Part of the book series: Intelligent Systems Reference Library ((ISRL,volume 26))

Abstract

Virtual reality technology enables people to become immersed in a computer-simulated and three-dimensional environment. In this chapter, we investigate the effects of the virtual reality technology on disabled people such as blind and visually impaired people (VIP) in order to enhance their computer skills and prepare them to make use of recent technology in their daily life. As well as, they need to advance their information technology skills beyond the basic computer training and skills. This chapter describes what best tools and practices in information technology to support disabled people such as deaf-blind and visual impaired people in their activities such as mobility systems, computer games, accessibility of e-learning, web-based information system, and wearable finger-braille interface for navigation of deaf-blind. Moreover, we will show how physical disabled people can benefits from the innovative virtual reality techniques and discuss some representative examples to illustrate how virtual reality technology can be utilized to address the information technology problem of blind and visual impaired people. Challenges to be addressed and an extensive bibliography are included.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

    Neveen I. Ghali, Sara A. Ahmed, Yomna M. Elbarawy & Aboul Ella Hassanien

  2. Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Omar Soluiman

  3. Technology, and Maritime Transport, Arab Academy for Science, P.O. Box 12311, Giza, Egypt

    Nashwa El-Bendary

  4. Faculty of Engineering, Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST), Giza, Egypt

    Tamer M. Nassef

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  1. Neveen I. Ghali
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  2. Omar Soluiman
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  3. Nashwa El-Bendary
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  4. Tamer M. Nassef
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  5. Sara A. Ahmed
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  6. Yomna M. Elbarawy
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, M.A. Jinnah Campus Defence Road, Lahore, Pakistan

    Tauseef Gulrez

  2. Faculty of Computer and Information Information Technology Department, Cairo University, 5 Ahmed Zewal St., Giza, Orman, Egypt

    Aboul Ella Hassanien

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Ghali, N.I. et al. (2012). Virtual Reality Technology for Blind and Visual Impaired People: Reviews and Recent Advances. In: Gulrez, T., Hassanien, A.E. (eds) Advances in Robotics and Virtual Reality. Intelligent Systems Reference Library, vol 26. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23363-0_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23363-0_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-23362-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-23363-0

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