Computer Program Allows the Blind To "See" With Sound

sciencehabit writes "Scientists have developed an algorithm that converts simple grayscale images into musical soundscapes. Even people blind from birth can use the technology to 'see' their surroundings and navigate around a room. Equally intriguing, the part of the subject's brain responsible for vision was active during these tasks, suggesting our thinking about how the brain works may be wrong. Instead of a 'vision center' of the brain, for example, we may actually have a region that helps us 'see', whether that input comes from sight or sound."

Re:Grayscale may not be best

[hozozco]

My Daughter is legally blind. She has rod monochromatism often called achromatopsia (http://www.achromatopsia.info/) and doesn't see any colour (only grey scale). She seems to think greyscale is quite useful. Now obviously colour would also be useful, but greyscale allows you to 'see' most things. In some states in the USA people with achromatopsia can drive using bioptic glasses (http://www.biopticdrivingusa.com/achromatopsia/). Of course the rest of the world sees this and thinks 'only in America'. Anyway, this is interesting if not entirely new. Other students at my daughters school (for the visually impaired) also learn echo location - this is from my daughters school: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/stor... [abc.net.au] :-)