Corvallis, Oregon USA, Wednesday, Feburary 6, 2008 – Today ViewPlus announced the release of the new IVEO Hands-on Learning System (v.2). IVEO is a multi-sensory learning system that makes teaching of visual concepts — diagrams, images and even art — more complete and interactive, while incorporating tools to better accommodate people with visual or learning disabilities.
The IVEO system includes a touch-sensitive pad on which raised or embossed templates are placed. Students can touch the tactile pictures and diagrams on the pad while the software speaks descriptions of the objects being touched. Descriptions can include computer speech, recorded speech, sounds, music or even links to web pages or computer files that contain information about objects on the tactile template.
Scientific studies demonstrate that people learn better when given information through simultaneous use of the three learning modalities — touch, sound and sight — as is done with the IVEO Hands-on Learning System. Combining the senses when studying allows students to learn faster and retain knowledge longer. This universal approach is also inclusive of people with sensory disabilities.
The IVEO Touchpad interacts with any of three IVEO software options: IVEO Viewer, IVEO Creator and IVEO Creator Pro. IVEO Viewer is a free downloadable program for interactive audio, tactile and visual access to images. IVEO Creator allows users to generate new IVEO files and IVEO Creator Pro adds the ability to import and scan existing electronic and paper materials into the IVEO system.
Using IVEO Creator, tactile templates can be made with programs like Microsoft Visio, CorelDraw and Adobe Illustrator. IVEO Creator Pro allows users to also import bitmaps, PDF files, other Windows files, and even scan from paper documents. Drawing tools are also included in IVEO Creator and IVEO Creator Pro as another option to produce new images or to edit existing ones. These tools can be accessed through the computer mouse, the keyboard or by drawing on the touchpad surface. Once the drawing is complete, a template can be embossed on any Tiger embosser or printed from a Windows printer and then placed on the touchpad to be studied.
IVEO utilizes the Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. SVG images can be scaled/zoomed to any size without losing resolution. Therefore, the same images can be used by people of all visual abilities with no compromise in quality. Users can zoom to the ideal size for their particular needs using the touchpad or mouse. When a zoomed printed template is placed on the touchpad, the computer automatically adjusts the image on the screen to the new size.
The use of SVG makes IVEO compatible with the new DAISY SVG Plug-in. Thus, IVEO can be used to add accessible images to DAISY electronic books and other media to enhance the text.
New features in IVEO (v.2) include: the ability to add sounds, music and links to objects in the tactile template; an enhanced user interface; and a choice of the previous portable IVEO touchpad or a new large format touchpad. IVEO (v.2) comes with sample curriculum templates with more available for free download and printing from the ViewPlus website (www.viewplus.com). Curriculum packs for biology, math, health, and geography will be available soon.
ViewPlus Technologies, Inc. is a private firm that develops and manufactures hardware and software for people with sensory disabilities, including people who are blind, low-vision and learning disabled. For more information about ViewPlus and the IVEO Hands-on Learning System please visit the ViewPlus website at www.viewplus.com, email info@viewplus.com, or call 541.754.4002.