Image Enhancement of Real-Time Televiion to Benefit the Viually Impaired Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To examine the ue of real-time, generic edge detection, image proceing technique to enhance the televiion viewing of the viually impaired. Deign Propective, clinical experimental tudy. Method One hundred and two equential viually impaired (average age 73.8 ± 14.8 year; 59% female) in a ingle center optimized a dynamic televiion image with repect to edge detection filter (Prewitt, obel, or the two combined), color (red, green, blue, or white), and intenity (one to 15 time) of the overlaid edge. They then rated the original televiion footage compared with a black-and-white image diplaying the edge detected and the original televiion image with the detected edge overlaid in the choen color and at the intenity elected. Footage of new, an advertiement, and the end of program credit were ubjectively aeed in a random order. Reult A Prewitt filter wa preferred (44%) compared with the obel filter (27%) or a combination of the two (28%). Green and white were equally popular for diplaying the detected edge (32%), with blue (22%) and red (14%) le o. The average preferred edge intenity wa 3.5 ± 1.7 time. The image-enhanced televiion wa ignificantly preferred to the original (P < .001), which in turn wa preferred to viewing the detected edge alone (P < .001) for each of the footage clip. Preference wa not dependent on the condition cauing viual impairment. eventy percent were definitely willing to buy a et-top box that could achieve thee effect for a reaonable price. Concluion imple generic edge detection image enhancement option can be performed on televiion in real-time and ignificantly enhance the viewing of the viually impaired.