We are inviting applications for a three-year Ph.D. studentship, funded
by EPSRC, to work on a project entitled:
"A real-time implementation of an aid for low vision".
This project is a collaboration between the Departments of Computer
Science, Experimental Psychology, and Ophthalmology at Bristol
University.
The project will start 1 October 1999 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The aim of the project is to develop a device which can classify
objects in natural scenes and display the results using high-contrast,
bright colours, into the residual vision of a person with low vision.
For example, all "vehicles" can be coloured pink (say). This allows
people with low (but still present) vision to know that there is a
vehicle in that particular part of the scene. Work thus far has (a)
developed a working, but slow, neural-net classifier, and (b) found
that the classified images are more easily seen by people with low
vision. The aim now is to make the system work in real time, thus
allowing real mobility through cluttered environments.
The project will employ two people: a computer scientist who will work
on a parallel implementation of the current code, and a Ph.D. student.
We already have a candidate in mind for the computer work. We now need
a graduate who wishes to register for a Ph.D. and whose job will be to
test the software and hardware on low-vision volunteers. Initially,
these tests will be lab-based, but will progressively involve more
mobility and more "natural" environments.
A background in psychology or ophthalmology would be good, but it's
well known that people from many disciplines can get involved in
psychophysical testing. An interest in display technology, and the
relationship between vision and mobility, would be an asset. Equally,
familiarity with computer systems would be an advantage although the
computer support will come primarily from the RA.
The Ph.D. student would register in the Experimental Psychology
Department under the supervision of Tom Troscianko.
For further details, please contact Tom Troscianko. If you are at ECVP
in Trieste then make yourself known to Tom.
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Dr Tom Troscianko
Department of Experimental Psychology
University of Bristol
8 Woodland Rd
Bristol BS8 1TN
UK
Tom.Troscianko@bristol.ac.uk
Phone 0117 928 8565
Mobile 0774 7000 764
Fax 0117 928 8588