(Press-News.org) SYDNEY, Dec. 6, 2023 – Table tennis has been played for decades as a more accessible version of tennis. The sport is particularly beginner-friendly while maintaining a rich level of competitive play. However, like many sports, it remains inaccessible to people who are blind or have low vision.
Phoebe Peng, an Engineering Honours student at the University of Sydney, is researching ways to allow people with low vision and blindness to play pingpong using sound.
The process uses neuromorphic cameras and an array of loudspeakers, designed to allow players to track the ball and movements based on sound. Peng will present her work Dec. 6 at 10:20 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as part of Acoustics 2023 Sydney running Dec. 4-8 at the International Convention Centre Sydney.
According to Peng, table tennis makes a perfect test case for this kind of technology.
“The small size of the ball and table, along with the movement of the ball in 3D space, are things that make table tennis difficult to play for those with low vision and complete blindness,” said Peng, who completed the work as part of her Honours thesis. “Making this sport more accessible while also exploring the potential of neuromorphic cameras were my two biggest motivators.”
The neuromorphic cameras Peng employed are ideal for tracking small objects like table tennis balls. Unlike normal cameras that capture complete images of a scene, neuromorphic cameras track changes in an image over time. Using two perfectly positioned cameras, Peng could identify and track a ball in three dimensions in real time. She then fed that data into an algorithm controlling an array of loudspeakers along the sides of the table, which created a sound field matching the position of the ball.
While this system works well, Peng says more experimentation is needed before it will be ready for actual play.
“An ongoing technical challenge is the matter of human perception of sound,” said Peng. “There are limitations on how accurately people can perceive sound localization. What type of sound should be used? Should the sound be continuous? This is a technical challenge we’ll be tackling in the next stage of development.”
###
----------------------- MORE MEETING INFORMATION -----------------------
The Acoustical Society of America is joining the Australian Acoustical Society to co-host Acoustics 2023 in Sydney. This collaborative event will incorporate the Western Pacific Acoustics Conference and the Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustics Conference.
Main meeting website: https://acoustics23sydney.org/
Technical program: https://eppro01.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL23
ASA PRESS ROOM
In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/.
LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS
ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.
PRESS REGISTRATION
ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.
ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.
ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY
The Australian Acoustical Society (AAS) is the peak technical society for individuals working in acoustics in Australia. The AAS aims to promote and advance the science and practice of acoustics in all its branches to the wider community and provide support to acousticians. Its diverse membership is made up from academia, consultancies, industry, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and all levels of Government. The Society supports research and provides regular forums for those who practice or study acoustics across a wide range of fields The principal activities of the Society are technical meetings held by each State Division, annual conferences which are held by the State Divisions and the ASNZ in rotation, and publication of the journal Acoustics Australia. https://www.acoustics.org.au/
###
END
Making table tennis accessible for blind players #Acoustics23
Object tracking combined with a speaker array can provide real-time audio feedback in three dimensions
2023-12-06
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Twice daily electrical stimulation may boost mental processes in Alzheimer’s disease
2023-12-06
Twice daily non-invasive electrical stimulation of the brain may boost mental processes (cognitive function) in people with Alzheimer’s disease, suggest the results of a small clinical trial published online in the open access journal General Psychiatry.
The technology, known as transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS for short, may help to fire up the brain’s plasticity, enabling ‘rewiring’ through the formation of new neural networks, the findings suggest.
tDCS comes in the form of a device with two electrodes, placed over specific areas of a person’s ...
Young age at first menstrual cycle linked to heightened diabetes risk in mid-life
2023-12-06
Starting menstrual cycles at a young age—before the age of 13—is linked to a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes in mid-life, finds US research published online in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
And it also seems to be associated with an increased risk of having a stroke before the age of 65 in those with the disease, particularly those who started having periods before the age of 10 or younger, the findings indicate.
Diabetes and its complications are on the rise among young and middle aged US adults, while the age at which women start having periods is falling ...
State abortion access key factor in future US doctors’ training (residency) choices
2023-12-06
State access to abortion is a key factor in choosing where to apply for residency (training) programmes for around three out of four future US doctors, indicate the results of a survey published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
These medical students care about the quality of care they will be able to provide patients when qualified as well as the options for their own health, the responses indicate.
In 2022 the US Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to privacy and autonomy ...
Tobacco related annual medical spend of US Minorities who smoke double that of White peers
2023-12-06
The annual tobacco-related healthcare spend of US Minorities who smoke is double that of White adults who smoke, finds an analysis of national health and medical spend survey data, published online in the journal Tobacco Control.
And the excess risks of 3 or more long term health conditions associated with smoking are more than 40% higher among Minority adults, despite their lower smoking rates and more numerous quit attempts than their White peers, the analysis indicates.
The findings prompt the researchers to conclude that Minority adults ...
Singing in the rain: Why the bundengan sounds better wet #Acoustics23
2023-12-06
SYDNEY, Dec. 6, 2023 – A bundengan wears many hats – and is one too. This portable shelter woven from bamboo has protected Indonesian duck herders from the sun and rain for centuries. Able to comfortably balance on the wearer’s head, a bundengan is equipped with a visor that curves around the side to meet at a long back. A more surprising, but no less practical, feature is the collection of strings and bamboo bars added in to produce music. Duck herders fill the hours spent tending to ducks sitting underneath their outfitted shelter, playing their shield as an instrument.
Over the years, bundengan musicians ...
Limitations of asteroid crater lakes as climate archives
2023-12-05
In southern Germany just north of the Danube, there lies a large circular depression between the hilly surroundings: the Nördlinger Ries. Almost 15 million years ago, an asteroid struck this spot. Today, the impact crater is one of the most useful analogues for asteroid craters on early Mars. Studying the deposits of the former lake that formed in the crater is particularly informative. These deposits have been of great interest ever since NASA began exploring Martian craters for signs of water and life on Mars. However, the chemical development of the former crater lake and its habitable areas is only partially understood. An international research team led by the ...
AAAS announces addition of Biomaterials Research to Science Partner Journal program
2023-12-05
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is pleased to announce its partnership with the Korean Society for Biomaterials (KSBM) to publish Biomaterials Research as a Science Partner Journal.
Biomaterials Research’s mission is to contribute to the development of the global biomaterials field and the benefit of the community and people through the expansion of international collaboration. The journal welcomes submissions from interdisciplinary fields of biomaterials research, including novel biomaterials, cutting-edge technologies of biomaterials synthesis and fabrication, ...
Picking up good vibrations: The surprising physics of the didjeridu #Acoustics23
2023-12-05
SYDNEY, Dec. 6, 2023 – Australia’s most iconic sound is almost certainly the didjeridu. The long wooden tube-shaped instrument is famous for its unique droning music and has played a significant role in Australian Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Despite the instrument’s simple design, the playing technique can be highly complex.
Joe Wolfe and John Smith from the University of New South Wales conducted acoustic experiments to study the didjeridu’s unusual and complicated performance techniques. Smith will be presenting their work on Dec. 6 at 8:20 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as part of Acoustics 2023 Sydney, ...
Bacteria's mucus maneuvers: Study reveals how snot facilitates infection
2023-12-05
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sniffles, snorts and blows of runny noses are the hallmarks of cold and flu season — and that increase in mucus is exactly what bacteria use to mount a coordinated attack on the immune system, according to a new study from researchers at Penn State. The team found that the thicker the mucus, the better the bacteria are able to swarm. The findings could have implications for treatments that reduce the ability of bacteria to spread.
The study, recently published in the journal PNAS Nexus, demonstrates how bacteria ...
Shuqing Xu receives ERC Consolidator Grant for his research on the evolution in ecological communities in response to climate change
2023-12-05
Eating or being eaten, competing for resources – these are certainly the best-known interactions among organisms coexisting in an ecosystem, but they are by no means the only ones. In fact, different species live together and interact in complex ways. But how do different species evolve or coevolve in a community as temperatures rise due to climate change? Current research focuses primarily on how individual species react to climate change. However, as species interact with each other in the ecosystem, the evolutionary responses to climate change are difficult to predict from studying each species in isolation. For example, a plant may grow faster due ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year
Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes
Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome
New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away
Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms
Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers
Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity
Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued
Unraveling the power and influence of language
Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice
TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies
Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light
Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription
Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems
Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function
Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire
Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality
Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology
'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds
Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization
New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease
Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US
Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility
Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity
Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning
Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders
Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals
Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut
High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications
New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia
[Press-News.org] Making table tennis accessible for blind players #Acoustics23Object tracking combined with a speaker array can provide real-time audio feedback in three dimensions