• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2018

In this study, visually impaired secondary students' conception of "changes of state of water" was explored. Science inquiry activity for students with visual impairments was implemented to 16 middle school students and 15 high school students from school for the blind. 14 of them were totally blind, 13 had low vision and the others were not identified. Inquiry activities were conducted by communicating with the researcher while students were individually exploring the molecular models of water and ice developed for the study. After the exploration, students were asked to explain the concept of changes of state of water with the model they explored. Opinion on the need and the usability of this kind of tactile model was also asked to them. All conversations were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. As a result, students with visual impairments answered exactly about the materials used for the model and their numbers. However, they didn't know what the model stood for. They had experiences of learning molecule of water and changes of state of water, but it was a phenomenon and superficial understanding. Students got to understand the molecular structures of water and ice, and had a positive perception on the need and the usability of the model. Based on these results, educational implications were discussed.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.164-173
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• 2014

In underwater robotics, vision would be a key element for recognition in underwater environments. However, due to turbidity an underwater optical camera is rarely available. An underwater imaging sonar, as an alternative, delivers low quality sonar images which are not stable and accurate enough to find out natural objects by image processing. For this, artificial landmarks based on the characteristics of ultrasonic waves and their recognition method by a shape matrix transformation were proposed and were proven in Part 1. But, this is not working properly in undulating and dynamically noisy sea-bottom. To solve this, we propose a framework providing a selection phase of likelihood candidates, a selection phase for final candidates, recognition phase and tracking phase in sequence images, where a particle filter based selection mechanism to eliminate fake candidates and a mean shift based tracking algorithm are also proposed. All 4 steps are running in parallel and real-time processing. The proposed framework is flexible to add and to modify internal algorithms. A pool test and sea trial are carried out to prove the performance, and detail analysis of experimental results are done. Information is obtained from tracking phase such as relative distance, bearing will be expected to be used for control and navigation of underwater robots.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.355-362
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate the effects of the transmittance of diffusive blurson visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Methods: Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured by using Optec$^{(R)}$ 6500 in Healthy 30 subjects aged $22.83{\pm}0.50$ (male 13, female 17) who were recruited from university students. Cataract simulator was used as a tool for diffusive blur. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured with varying the transmittance of diffusive blur in order to simulate progression of cataract and concentration in fog. Results: Visual acuity was reduced proportionally with decreasing the transmittance of the diffusive blur as follows: $VA(T)=1.84{\times}10^{-2}T-0.645$. Contrast sensitivity was decreased in all spatial frequencies. Contrast sensitivity in a high spatial frequency band was a greater effect and was off the normal range of contrast sensitivity. The peak of contrast sensitivity was moved in the direction to low frequency. From an intersection point of contrast sensitivity function, we could calculated the transmittance of the diffusive blur being off the normal range and the shift to peak spatial frequency. The peak of contrast sensitivity function was observed to move from 6 to 3 cpd at transmittance of about 78.70%, the contrast sensitivities for all frequencies at transmittance of about 69.71% were deviated from the normal range. Conclusions: The transmittance of diffusive blur causes a reduction in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, a deviation of normal range of contrast sensitivity, and a shift of peak contrast sensitivity. Therefore the more attention is required when suffering from cataracts or driving in fog.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.275-280
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• 2016

Purpose: This study is intended to look into the difference in surgery effects through the analysis of risk factors on how the common adult diseases among Korean adults diseases (glaucoma, hypertension and diabetes) are affecting cataract. Methods: Cataract surgery patients' daily records at hospitals in Jeonnam were used as analysis data. Factors - which can affect the results of medical treatment before and after an operation - were classified into the input, process and outcome of medical treatment. The medical treatment and patient characteristics were reflected as the input of medical treatment, and clinical results, functional status and general status as the process of medical treatment. Results: There was a close relationship between adult diseases of glaucoma, diabetes and hypertension, and cataract. Visual acuity of adult diseases patients was 10% lower than of non-adult diseases patients. And for post-surgery it was around 16% difference in refractive error and visual acuity between two groups. Conclusions: According to a study result, the cataract has been confirmed that there is a close relationship of Adult disease patients's glaucoma, diabetes and hypertension. Depending on the type about these adult diseases, before and after cataract surgery, vision and refractive power was found to indicate a significant difference when compared with conventional low normal adult control.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SP
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.49-58
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• 2011

Typically, vision-based AR systems operate on the basis of prior knowledge of the environment such as a square marker. The traditional marker-based AR system has a limitation that the marker has to be located in the sensing range. Therefore, there have been considerable research efforts for the techniques known as real-time camera tracking, in which the system attempts to add unknown 3D features to its feature map, and these then provide registration even when the reference map is out of the sensing range. In this paper, we describe a real-time camera tracking framework specifically designed to track a monocular camera in a desktop workspace. Basic idea of the proposed scheme is that a real-time camera tracking is achieved on the basis of a plane tracking algorithm. Also we suggest a method for re-detecting features to maintain registration of virtual objects. The proposed method can cope with the problem that the features cannot be tracked, when they go out of the sensing range. The main advantage of the proposed system are not only low computational cost but also convenient. It can be applicable to an augmented reality system for mobile computing environment.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2015

There have been sustained developments of advanced technologies using traffic safety facilities recently and techniques for identifying failure modes and devices which could result in fatal outcomes. The purpose of this research is aimed at improving the driving conditions in advance through analyzing the IT convergence, driving education, researches for vehicles, field of construction and robotics. The researchers evaluate on usability tests of the driving with 26 candidates through focusing on safety, convenience, efficiency, effectiveness. Using specialized LED panel to enhance driving performances of disabled people are for cautious road conditions like foggy weather or heavy rain. As a result, there were improvements in the driving conditions, and candidates reported this system was helpful. It allows them for maintaining proper driving all times and was especially informative for people with low vision or visually impaired. This system plays a pivotal role as a prevention mechanism not only for regular drivers but also for further delict of traffic violations or accident offenders who already have former record on tort.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2020

Visually impaired people use tactile maps to get spatial information about their surrounding environment, find their way, and improve their independent mobility. However, classical tactile maps that make use of braille to describe the location within the map have several limitations, such as the lack of information due to constraints on space and limited feedback possibilities. This study describes the development of a new multi-modal interactive tactile map interface that addresses the challenges of tactile maps to improve the usability and independence of visually impaired people when using tactile maps. This interface adds touch gesture recognition to the surface of tactile maps and enables the users to verbally interact with a voice agent to receive feedback and information about navigation routes and points of interest. A low-cost prototype was developed to conduct usability tests that evaluated the interface through a survey and interview given to blind participants after using the prototype. The test results show that this interactive tactile map prototype provides improved usability for people over traditional tactile maps that use braille only. Participants reported that it was easier to find the starting point and points of interest they wished to navigate to with the prototype. Also, it improved self-reported independence and confidence compared with traditional tactile maps. Future work includes further development of the mobility solution based on the feedback received and an extensive quantitative study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.409-413
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• 2011

An X-ray tube used an X-ray fluorescence analysis system has a low X-ray photon intensity which results in reducing measurement accuracy and increasing exposure time. These shortages can be overcame by using a monocapillary optics. A monocapillary optics was optimally designed for focusing the characteristic X-ray of tungsten (8.4 keV). The monocapillary optics can achieve a gain of 10 at the least. The monocapillary optics was fabricated by using puller and pyrex glass, raw material. In fabrication, a weigh of 45g and a temperature of $650^{\circ}$ was loaded. The total fabrication time was 460 minutes. The fabricated capillary had 87 mm in length and maximum diameter of 300 ${\mu}m$ and minimum diameter of 192 ${\mu}m$. When the fabricated monocapillary optics is applied to an X-ray fluorescence analysis system, the detection accuracy for soft elements, for example sulfur (S), will be improved.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.121-155
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• 2007

This paper was based on the answers of the BI(Business Incubating) managers who had been working in the business incubating field. The main purpose of this research was to figure out working conditions of those managers and to find out proper solutions. The result of the research was as follows. Overall economic rewards for those managers were relatively low level, job conditions for those managers were short-time contract-basis and those managers' ages were relatively young, 20s or 30s, and majority of the managers' working experience was usually less than 3years. Also some of the full-time managers were spending much of their working time in administration affairs rather than practical business incubating or business incubating consulting service. Therefore, the satisfaction level for their salary and working condition was quite unsatisfactory and they didn't have positive vision for their job and for their business consulting service. As a result to resolve those negative affects and to promote overall working for those BI managers, authorized certificates are necessary for those BI managers. Then they can specialize BI managing works and can improve their working conditions by blocking non -certified workers and can advance the quality of their consulting service.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2016

This study investigated how people who became blind midway through life used music and how these uses differed according to individual factors. Sixty-one late-blind adults aged 40 to 60 years attending six welfare centers for the blind in Seoul and Gyeonggi region participated in this research. Participants were asked to complete a 25-question survey in Braille on music utilization and preference, as well as the purpose of music utilization. The response rate was 87.1%. The results were as follows. First, with regard to listening preference, they reported preferring to listen to upbeat popular music on the radio when resting at home. They liked to sing along to lyrics reminiscent of personal memories. String instruments were preferred when playing an instrument. With regard to the reason for using music, inducing mood change was found to be the biggest reason, followed by seeking enjoyment, comfort, sense of achievement, and sense of belonging. Third, for people with adventitious visual impairments, individual factors, such as gender, level of disability, and period without eyesight, did not reveal any significant differences. Last, participants were found to obtain a higher sense of belonging through music compared to those having low vision. Regarding time without eyesight, it appeared that the shorter the period, the higher the sense of belonging participants had from utilizing music, and vice versa. This study provides fundamental information for organizing an effective music program that can meet the needs and demands of people with adventitious visual impairments.