Trask Innovation Fund awarded for innovation of device that helps people with visual impairments "see"

Bradley Duerstock, associate professor of engineering practice in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and the School of Industrial Engineering, and Juan Wachs, Purdue’s James A. and Sharon M. Tompkins Rising Star Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, received $50,000 for the innovation of a portable device that helps people with visual impairments “see” digital images.
This technology uses an algorithm that changes digital images into physical sensations so a person can use other senses to determine the size, color, shape, intensity, location, texture and opacity of digital images. The technology could help users pursue careers in medicine, biology, chemistry and other fields where opportunities are restricted for the visually impaired. For more information, visit here. A video about the research is available here.

The fund is a development program established to support projects that advance the commercial value of Purdue University intellectual property. The fund makes awards twice a year to aid faculty and staff with their patented innovations that are being commercialized through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.

Purdue faculty and staff that have submitted a disclosure to OTC can apply for Trask. The deadline for submitting applications for the upcoming round of Trask proposals is Sept. 27.

These innovations align with Purdue's Giant Leaps, celebrating the global advancements made in health, space, artificial intelligence and sustainability highlights as part of Purdue’s 150th anniversary. Those are the four themes of the yearlong celebration’s Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues.

Source: $150,000 in funding to advance, commercialize Purdue innovations

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Purdue-developed technology that helps visually impaired ‘see’ digital images to be presented on Capitol Hill

Individuals with visual impairment can 'see' through device that turns digital images into physical sensations