3-D object information system for the visually impaired using an infrared reflective bar code

We have produced a 3 dimensional object information system using a newly developed infrared reflection type pigment as an identifier. The system incorporates a video camera, which inputs the object image, a personal computer and speech synthesizer. In experiments, a bar code, using the IR reflection pigment, was attached to the surface of a pillar-shaped can, with the bar code matching the color of the object. The name of the object was then output within 1 second, using the image of the attached bar code. With this system, it is possible to identify objects without contact, and it is also possible to explain the positions of plural components on a table