THE THEME
The objective of the workshop is to present the result of the “MIT Fifth Sense Project” with high class contributions and confrontations and to introduce the step forward on the Challenges Program.
The workshop will be mainly of a specific nature. Is there a future for assistive technology Devices outside the Academic Laboratories? What are the step to design a system that can be easily accepted by the blind communities? From a prototype to a product, is the academia ready for the technological transfer? Are the investors ready to put an effort into technology for the empowerment of people with specific needs?
The objective is to stimulate scientists , member of the industry or entrepreneurial, on discuss applicative subjects that may be useful for the disabled and in particular the visually impaired and the blind. It is for this reason that the workshop will be useful and interesting also for students, the blind or associations defending their rights, researchers and journalists.
Furthermore, in the afternoon an exposition of some prototypes will be shown and tested. The results of the MIT Fifth Sense Project will be part of this exposition.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
- To study the design of devices to augment senses to low vision and blind people from a prototype into a product, and discuss the impact of academia technological research on society and on technological transfer.
- To present the results of the MIT Fifth Sense Project, partially funded by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and developed at EECS department of MIT.
- To favour the integration of knowledge for the most efficient results.
- To present the results of recent research in the assistive technology and how much influence the products created have had on the society.
- The needs still to be satisfied and the objectives and proposals of research and technological transfer for future action.
- To invite companies or organizations for a possible development for the project.
- To favour constant exchange between American and Italian Universities.
PROGRAM
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October 24th, 2015
EXPO 2015 – ABF & MIT 3rd Challenges WORKSHOP
“Technology for blind: from prototype to product”.
Conference Centre Orogel – Sala 256B – Expo Milano 2015
10.00 – 10.30 am OPENING, Maestro Andrea Bocelli and Prof. Antonino Zichichi CERN Geneva and President of WFS World Federation of Scientists
10.30 – 10.40 How Can Technology Enhance Our Ability to Move Safely? Daniela Rus, CSAIL, MIT, MA, US
10.40 – 10-50 Energy-Efficient System Design for Wearable Platforms Anantha P. Chandrakasan, EECS, MIT, MA, US
10.50 – 11.00 Sensors, Integrated circuits and Applications: Opportunities and Challenges Karthik Vasanth, Texas Instruments, TX, US
11.00 – 11.10 Accessibility, how many meanings: one, no one, one hundred thousand? Franco Lisi, Istituto Ciechi, Milan, I
11.10 – 11.20. Digital fabrication technologies in support of the visually impaired Edoardo Calia, Istituto Superiore Mario Boella, Turin, I
11.20 – 11.30 Novel Approaches for Vision Restoration James Weiland, USC, Losangeles, CA, US
11.30 – 11.40 Aira.IO – Visual Interpreter for the Blind Suman Kanuganti Aira.IO, San Diego, CA, US
11.40 – 11.50 OrCam – See for yourself Yonatan Wexler, Orcam, Jerusalem, IL
11.50 – 12.10 “How the appeal of exterior design can increase the acceptability by the blind community of new technological products”, Cav. Giorgetto Giugiaro
12.10 – 12.20 Social inclusion via augmented senses: from academia to society Laura Giarré, ABF, Università di Palermo, Palermo, I
12.20 – 12.30 CLOSING Andrea Bocelli, ABF founder
12.30 -14.00 Demo and exposition of some prototypes will be shown and tested. The results of the MIT fifth sense project will be part of this exposition.
14.00 Lunch
The Demo will continue in the afternoon at Conference Centre Orogel – Sala 70C.
Keywords:
Social inclusion via augmented senses. Impact of academia technological research on society. Technological transfer. From a prototype to a product. Social Impact
VIDEO
Opening
Challenges Workshop
PHOTO GALLERY
