Cambridge, 28 July 2014: Spectral Edge (www.spectraledge.co.uk) today announced that it is working together with Colour Blind Awareness, an organisation that raises the awareness of the needs of the colour blind, to trial its new image-enhancement technology, EyeTeq.
EyeTeq uses mathematical perception models to modify image colours so that colour blind observers enjoy improved visibility, whilst at the same time minimising the strength of the effect for those who do not have colour blindness, or “colour normals”.
Following a successful psychophysical study on a representative sample, Spectral Edge is now bringing EyeTeq into living rooms and applying it to mainstream TV content. Spectral Edge will now be able to gather direct feedback on the experience for colour blind viewers as well as colour normals. Expertise from Colour Blind Awareness will contribute to a successful trial and eventually result in consumer electronics companies delivering devices that are more colour blind friendly.
“We are delighted to be assisting Spectral Edge,” said Kathryn Albany-Ward, founder of Colour Blind Awareness. “The track record of their founders in image processing gives me confidence that they can really produce, refine and commercialise a technology that will improve the lives of colour blind people.”
Colour blindness affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women around the world. In the UK there are approximately 2.7 million colour blind people (about 4.5% of the entire population).
“Colour Blind Awareness has done an excellent job of raising the profile of the condition in the UK and beyond” said Dr. Robert Swann, Chairman of Spectral Edge. “Their input to this important trial will ensure that we are testing the technology with the right people in the right way.”
Applicable to both still pictures and video, Eyeteq enhances images so that colour blind observers can see details they previously could not, transforming the experience of watching TV in particular. It does this without negatively affecting the picture for colour normals, enabling both to share the same screen.
An Eyeteq viewer app for iOS and Android will shortly be available for demonstration purposes. Trials using a set-top box with Eyeteq integrated are planned for the autumn. Results are expected in 6-9 months and will be made available to drive wider adoption of the technology.
About Spectral Edge
Formed in February 2011, Spectral Edge is a spin-out company of the Colour and Vision Group of the School of Computing Sciences at the University of East Anglia in Norwich (United Kingdom).
Spectral Edge technology enhances images and video by using information outside the normal visible spectrum or applying transformations to that within it. Applications range from medical imaging and surveillance all the way to consumer applications such as enhancing camera images and TV pictures.
Website: www.spectraledge.co.uk
Pictures & Media Pack: www.spectraledge.co.uk/about/media-pack
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/spectral-edge-ltd
Twitter: @SpectralEdgeLtd
Email: pr@spectraledge.co.uk
About Colour Blind Awareness
Colour Blind Awareness is a non-profit making Community Interest Company formed to raise awareness of the needs of the colour blind in the community. Colour Blind Awareness aims to be the first point of reference for people seeking information and advice about colour blindness in the UK. The company has two main strands. The first is to offer advice parents, teachers and schools in how to support colour blind children throughout the education process. The second is to advise businesses and institutions on colour blind compliance by offering guidance, solutions, training and auditing services.
www.colourblindawareness.org
Source: RealWire
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