Dec. 6 – “The techniques and software developed in this prototype form can simplify the creation of tactile translations of paintings which help the blind ‘see’ paintings.” Says Lapo Governi, researcher at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Florence. Governi took part today in Boston at the workshop sponsored by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; a day of study designed to disseminate the results of technological research and contributions in support of blind or visually impaired people worldwide. The University of Florence contributes to this research by bringing paintings into the realm of activities that the blind may enjoy. Governi will present at MIT the work done along with Monica Carfagni, Yary Fox and Rocco Furferi. Their research concerned the reconstruction of pictorial art works into tactile representations in the form of bas-relief. The research was carried out within the project “T- see,” co-funded by the Region of Tuscany. The project aims at developing technologies that allow the blind to feel the world’s great works of art. “One of the success factors of the project – says Governi – was the collaboration with he Italian Blind Union (with the volunteers who helped us), the Tuscany Region and the Florence Superintendence for State Museums. The goal we want to reach is an increase in the number of museums with exhibits or sections devoted precisely to this type of audience.” The initiative scheduled for today in Boston was developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Andrea Bocelli Foundation, with the participation of the University of Florence, Pisa, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna , Venice Ca ‘ Foscari, Milan Bicocca, and Palermo.
