New device allows blind to 'see' colours and shapes

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Scientists have developed a novel device that transmits information through a composition of pleasant musical tones, helping the blind to "see" colours and shapes.
Using auditory or tactile stimulation, Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) provide representations of visual information and can help the blind "see" colours and shapes.
Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed the EyeMusic, a novel SSD that transmits shape and colour information through a composition of pleasant musical tones, or "soundscapes."
Using the EyeMusic SSD, both blind and blindfolded sighted participants were able to correctly identify a variety of basic shapes and colours after as little as 2-3 hours of training, researchers said.

Most SSDs do not have the ability to provide colour information, and some of the tactile and auditory systems used are said to be unpleasant after prolonged use.
The EyeMusic, developed by senior investigator Professor Amir Amedi scans an image and uses musical pitch to represent the location of pixels.

The higher the pixel on a vertical plane, the higher the pitch of the musical note associated with it.
Timing is used to indicate horizontal pixel location. Notes played closer to the opening cue represent the left side of the image, while notes played later in the sequence represent the right side.

Colour information is conveyed by the use of different musical instruments to create the sounds: white (vocals), blue (trumpet), red (reggae organ), green (synthesised reed), yellow (violin) and black by silence.
"This study is a demonstration of abilities showing that it is possible to encode the basic building blocks of shape using the EyeMusic," said Amedi.
"Furthermore, the success in associating colour to musical timbre holds promise for facilitating the representation of more complex shapes," Amedi said.
In addition to successfully identifying shapes and colours, users in the new EyeMusic study indicated they found the SSD's soundscapes to be relatively pleasant and potentially tolerable for prolonged use.

By providing additional colour information, the EyeMusic can help facilitate object recognition and scene segmentation, while the pleasant soundscapes offer the potential of prolonged use.
The study was published in the journal Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.