The match is judged on the point and there are seconds left for his exhalation, the shot for the three-pointer, although a risky move, finds a target, the referee whistles the end and a blind fan celebrates in the stands…
And yet, this picture is not far from reality since, now, visually impaired fans and those who have lost 100% of their light, have the opportunity to watch a basketball game in real time.
The associate professor of the Hellenic Mediterranean University, head of the Laboratory of Design and Machining, Mr. Manolis Maravelakis, designed a tangible representation of a basketball court, a three-dimensional (3D) model, which can be used by blind fans.
To date, there have been two tests that were considered very successful, in collaboration with the blind Panathinaikos fan, Mr. Takis Alexandrakis, the Panathinaikos Disabled and the Public Central Library of Sparta – Sparti TechLab.
The beginning took place on Sunday, October 27, in the wheelchair match Panathinaikos – PASKA, while the match between Panathinaikos and Anantolou Efes followed last Thursday, October 31.
“This is a relatively simple idea to implement, but it had a big impact on people with vision problems, such as Mr. Alexandrakis, whom I have known for several years,” said Mr. Maravelakis.
Mr. Takis Alexandrakis, blind from the age of 15, lived the fight by 85%
Essentially, it is a 3d tablet, with embossed printing, which depicts the geography of the stadium. The fan can “browse” with his fingers on the tablet and at the same time with the description of what is happening by a special partner can watch the match with more intense emotions.
The two tests have been done by the lawyer, Mr. Alexandrakis, who stated that he lived the fight at a rate of 85%. He lost his sight at the age of 15, that is, he had an idea of what a basketball court is like.
“Our future goals are to develop and improve the existing model, to specialize in congenitally blind fans but also to apply it to another sport,” says Mr. Maravelakis.
Football is a bigger challenge in creating a three-dimensional model because from the center line to the line of the big area there is a big gap and the user has to understand exactly in which area of the field it is, this should not be uniform. vacuum. Mr. Maravelakis has already sent for printing a first model that represents a football field.
“Our vision is to get visually impaired people out of their homes and have access to games. “Our dream with Mr. Alexandrakis is to have the opportunity in all stadiums for anyone who wishes to be able to watch the games”, he explains.
As he mentions, in a stadium abroad there are special places for people with visual impairments, advanced devices that give stimuli with special gloves, where the flow of the stadium can be transferred automatically.
Culture off the field…
The laboratory of H.M.U. deals with cultural heritage documentation.
She has been a pioneer in the reconstruction of the ancient Athenian Myrtida, with the team of the professor, M. Papagrigorakis, as well as the woman of the Mesolithic period, Avgi.
The renovation of the small Feraia, Idili, whose skeleton is in the Archaeological Museum of Volos, is in progress.
There is also a collaboration with the archaeological site of Delphi, with the Technical University of Crete and three companies.
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