The Right Information

John Zelek
Associate Professor, Department of Systems Design Engineering
University of Waterloo

November 8, 2006
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Davis Centre 1304, University of Waterloo

View Video of Presentation in HI Alive Archive: Research Seminars Archive 2006-2007

Abstract
We live in a highly visual world and rely on our eyes for making sense of and interacting with the world, almost to a fault of the exclusion of the other sensory channels. We have demonstrated that the tactile channel can be an appropriate sensory substitution modality for conveying way finding obstacle information computed from a camera, in particular, in application as an assistive way finding device for people who are blind. Maturation of this technology has required solving (1) fundamental real time computer vision problems such as depth acquisition, object category detection and recognition, as well as visual simultaneous localization and mapping; (2) introducing revolutionary wearable haptic communications and force/texture replication technologies.

We have demonstrated our computer vision algorithms for real outdoor applications and are now keen to adapt them for solving similar problems in the human body, in particular for position and registration during robotic surgery. Our wearable haptics technology has been shown to be an effective communication modality but it can also be used as attention cueing for purposes of rehabilitation. We have also developed a method of presenting multiple-point force feedback technology that can only improve upon the currently available single point haptic feedback used occasionally by surgeons during robotic surgery. Engineering design stresses problem definition, user empathy and a full understanding of needs. It is with this in mind that we try to make a difference in assistive technology, in the operating room as well as during rehabilitation.

About the Speaker
John Zelek is an Associate Professor in the Systems Design Engineering Department at the University of Waterloo. He is also co-director of the Intelligent Human-Machine Interface Lab. His research interests can be best summarized as being in the area of intelligent mechatronic control systems that interface with humans; specifically, the areas are (1) wearable sensory substitution and assistive devices; (2) probabilistic visual and tactile perception; (3) wearable haptic devices including their design, synthesis and analysis; and (4) human-robot interaction. He is the co-founder of Tactile Sight Inc. He was awarded the 2004 Young Investigator Award by the Canadian Image Processing & Pattern Recognition Society for his work in robotic vision. He was also awarded a Distinguished Performance Award in 2006 by the Engineering Faculty at the University of Waterloo. He was the 2001 recipient of the E. (Ben) & Mary Hochhausen Fund Award for research in adaptive technology for visually impaired persons, awarded by the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), one of only 3 ever awarded. Dr. Zelek's research has been featured on the Discovery Channel Daily Planet show twice (2005, 2003), a story on CBC Newsworld (2002), a full page article in the Globe & Mail (2002) as well as over 30 other stories and interviews that have appeared on television, in newspapers and on radio. John continues to work with the CNIB towards an affordable visual to tactile assistive device that would augment the long cane or guide dog; a way of feeling on one's arm what the camera sees. Another related current project is the investigation of what haptic experiences a surgeon has during conventional, laparoscopic and robotic surgery; and the design of wearable haptics to re-create the conventional experience during robotic surgery.