Colour Discriminating Apparatus for the Blind Persons

Abstract

This report describes the apparatus under development which discriminates the colours encountered in the daily life of the blind persons. The eight kinds of colours, i.e. red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, white and black are chosen and converted to the voice representing the name of the colours. The colour sensing element, in this apparatus, is used which has almost the same wave lengthsensitivity characteristics as the isochromatic function in the XYZ colorimetric system. The tristimulus values X, Y and Z from the object are detected by this sensing element and these values are operated each other by the operational amplifying circuits and converted to the position on the x-y chromaticity coordinates. The voice recorded on the ROM corresponding to the position on the chromaticity coordinates is then selected by the microcomputer and put out, after amplified, through the speaker. Although the observed tristimulus values were a little different from those measured by the general purpose colour meter, the eight kinds of colours could be discriminated and the corresponding voice outputs could be obtained.