Exhibit Design Relating to Low Vision and Blindness: Tactile Mapping for Cultural and Entertainment Venues

Interactive Illuminated Models 

Another promising new development expands on the concept of touch sensitive talking models by projecting light onto the model’s 3D surface. This concept is demonstrated in an experimental version of the Carroll Center Talking Campus map (see figure 13). Rather than painting the buildings and landscape to provide high contrast visuals (as in the original Carroll Center project shown in figure 10), here the model is all-white, greatly simplifying model fabrication and painting. A downward facing LCD video projector bathes the surface of the model with HD video, with moving images, and text labels. When part of the model is touched, the overall illumination of the model dims, except for a spotlight of bright light shining on the part that was touched. This adds emphasis that may be helpful for low vision users, and is somewhat jaw-dropping for those with normal vision. Adding cars and figures in motion on the surface of the model, and casting accurate shadows across the surface of the model based on time of day creates an uncannily realistic miniature tableau, and it’s hard to resist interacting.