In: Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer. (= Lecture Notes in Computer Science.) 1065-1069. In this paper a barcode-based system to help the visually impaired and blind people identify objects in the environment is introduced. The system is based on the idea of utilizing QR codes (two-dimensional barcode) affixed to an object and scanned using a camera phone equipped with QR reader software. The reader decodes the barcode to a URL and directs the phone’s browser to fetch an audio file from the Web that contains a verbal description of the object. Our proposed system is expected to be useful in real-time interaction with different environments and to further illustrate the potential of our work, two scenarios are presented.
At the University of Huddersfield we have used QR codes to deliver context appropriate help and information to blur the boundaries between the physical and electronic world. We’ve developed mobile friendly materials to deliver information skills materials directly to our users at the point of need, linked by QR codes on printed materials and on appropriate locations in the physical library. This article outlines the practical uses we’ve found for QR codes and gives preliminary results of how they’ve been received by our library users.