The objective of TeDUB is to develop a software that allows blind users to read technical diagrams.
The TeDUB system consists of two main parts, DiagramInterpreter and DiagramNavigator. DiagramInterpreter analyses existing diagrams and converts them into the internal TeDUB format that is used by DiagramNavigator, which provides blind users with an interface to navigate and annotate these diagrams through a number of input and output devices.
The TeDUB system is able to handle diagrams of different types indifferent input formats. Here, the DiagramInterpreter-software can be configured for this by defining specific formalized knowledge.
For more details see TeDUB at Laboratory for Semantic Information Technology of Bamberg University.
Two additional software modules make DiagramInterpreter accessible to the web allowing an author to upload a created diagram, let it interpret by the DiagramInterpreter software, and get it returned via email.
Using DiagramInterpreter as central interpretation service, has obvious advantages:
The web-based interpretation service at Bamberg University is intended to demonstrate the prototype of the DiagramInterpreter software and the software for web-based access.
It provides support for box-and-pointer diagrams that come in svg-format and are created with CorelDraw 12.
A box and pointer diagram consists of boxes containing text and lines or arrows between those boxes. Such a connection represents a relation between the two connected boxes and can have a text label describing the relation. This kind of diagram can represent different topics, such as a company's management structure or a family tree. The pointers (usually lines or arrows) represent the relations between the different boxes.
If you want to create a box-and-pointer diagram, please proceed as follows:
Then you will get returned the interpreted diagram.
Depending on the conformance of the uploaded diagram to the instructions, the interpretation process may require a semi-automatic procedure including manual corrections in order to guarantee a correct interpretation. In this case, the reply mail with the interpreted diagram might not arrive immediately but maybe one or two days later.
Please note that until January, interpretation will work completely automatically. Therefore, a correct interpretation cannot be guaranteed. In January, the new Annotation-Module will be available and allow a semi-automatic interpretation process for a perfect interpretation.
An example diagram in cdr- (CorelDraw file), svg-, and tdd-format is contained in example.zip.
Comments as well as reports of problems are welcome. Please contact Cornelius Hagen (cornelius.hagen@wiai.uni-bamberg.de).