Audio Index
Our system allows visually impaired users to browse for audio books by pointing directly with their index fingers on the spine of the audio book as it stands in the shelf
Audio Index gives disabled library visitors the possibility to independently browse for books, get guidance, and access various kinds of information.
The system allows visually impaired users to browse for audio books by pointing directly with their index fingers on the spine of the audio book as it stands in the shelf. The system then recognizes which audio book it is and quickly provides the user with information about the author, the title, and a summary of the contents of that particular book in the form of synthesized speech. Users are also able to point at other objects in the library, such as bookshelf, to find out what kinds of books are to be found in that particular shelf.
The fully functional Audio Index prototype system is partly the result of an European Union-funded project that focused on accessibility to libraries for all visitors, run by the public libraries in the Umeå region.
The main target group has been visually impaired visitors and the entire project was carried out in close collaboration with end users and disability organizations. This prototype has been subject to long-term public evaluation at Umeå city library, and is now a commercially available product.
About this Project
This project was carried out in Umea Design Research Group at Umeå Institute of Design.
Design Team
- Daniel Fallman
- Kent Lindbergh
- Fredrik Nilbrink
- Oskar Fjellström
- Lars Johansson