Glossary

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Face Detection(also: Face Recognition, Facial Detection)

A computer vision technology that identifies and locates human faces within digital images or video frames, typically providing bounding box coordinates around each detected face. Face detection serves as the foundation for more advanced tasks like face recognition (identifying…

Face Recognition(also: Facial Recognition, Face Detection)

A technology that uses computer vision and machine learning to identify or verify a person by analysing their facial features from images or video. In accessibility contexts, face recognition has significant potential as an assistive tool for blind and deafblind people, enabling…

Face Tracking(also: Facial Tracking, Face Detection and Tracking)

A computer vision technology that detects and follows the position and movement of a user's face in real time using a camera or depth sensor. In accessibility, face tracking enables hands-free computer interaction for people with motor disabilities who cannot use traditional…

Facial Action Unit(also: Action Unit, AU, FACS Action Unit)

A component of the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) that represents a specific movement or position of facial muscles. Each action unit corresponds to a distinct facial movement, such as raising the inner eyebrow (AU1) or pulling the lip corner (AU12 for smiling). In…

Facial Gesture Recognition(also: Face Tracking, Facial Expression Recognition)

Technology that uses cameras and computer vision algorithms to detect and interpret facial movements and expressions in real time. For accessibility, facial gestures such as opening the mouth, raising eyebrows, smiling, or nose movements can be mapped to computer commands,…

Facial Recognition(also: Face Recognition, FR)

Facial recognition is a computer vision technology that identifies or verifies a person by analyzing and comparing patterns in their facial features from digital images or video. In accessibility contexts, facial recognition has significant potential to assist blind and low…

Fall Detection(also: Automatic Fall Detection, Fall Alert System)

Technology that automatically identifies when a person has fallen and triggers an alert or emergency response. Fall detection systems typically use sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes in wearable devices (smartwatches, pendants), ambient sensors (radar, Wi-Fi), or…

Feature Extraction(also: Feature Engineering, Representation Learning)

Feature extraction is the process of identifying and isolating measurable properties or characteristics (features) from raw data such as images, audio, or text, for use in machine learning tasks. In image processing, features may include edges, textures, colours, shapes, or…

Feedback Design(also: System Feedback, User Feedback Design)

The design of system responses that communicate to users what is happening, what the system understood, and what actions are needed. Effective feedback design is critical in assistive technology, where users may have limited sensory, motor, or cognitive channels for receiving…

Few-Shot Learning(also: N-Shot Learning, Low-Shot Learning)

Few-shot learning is a machine learning approach that enables AI models to learn new concepts from only a small number of examples — typically 1 to 10 — rather than the hundreds or thousands traditionally required. This is achieved through techniques like meta-learning, where…

Fiducial Marker(also: ArUco Marker, Fiducial Tag)

A visual pattern placed on an object or surface that can be detected and identified by computer vision systems to determine the object's position, orientation, and identity. Fiducial markers such as ArUco markers are commonly used in augmented reality and assistive technology…

Fiducial Marker(also: AR Marker, Visual Marker, Reference Marker)

An artificial visual landmark placed in a physical environment to serve as a reference point for image processing systems. Fiducial markers — such as QR codes, ArUco markers, and BCH matricial markers — are designed for robust detection by cameras under varying conditions of…

Find My Things(also: FMT)

A Microsoft-developed smartphone app that lets people who are blind or have low vision train a personalized object recognizer by recording short example videos of their own items, then use the trained model to locate those items later via audio and haptic guidance. Find My…

Finger Assistive Device(also: FAD)

A category of wearable assistive devices worn on a finger or fingertip that extend sensing or actuation to the primary locus of tactile perception. The term was introduced by Shilkrot et al. to classify finger-worn input technologies, particularly those developed for blind and…

Finger Braille(also: Tactile Finger Spelling)

A communication method used primarily by deaf-blind people, in which a sender taps or presses on the fingers of the receiver to represent Braille dot patterns, simulating typing on a Braille typewriter. The receiver's six fingers (three on each hand) correspond to the six dots…

Finger Reading(also: Touch Scanning, Tactile Scanning)

A touch interaction technique used on accessible touchscreen interfaces where users continuously pan or slide their finger across the screen to explore content, receiving feedback for every position touched without encountering blank or unresponsive areas. In accessible data…

Finger Tracking(also: Fingertip Tracking, Finger Detection, Hand Tracking)

Computer vision or sensor-based technology that detects and follows the position and movement of a user's fingers in real-time. In accessibility applications, finger tracking enables hands-free interaction with tactile graphics, touchscreens, and physical objects by monitoring…

Finger-Worn Camera(also: Ring camera, Finger-mounted camera, Finger assistive camera)

A miniature camera attached to a finger, typically via a ring or thimble-like housing, that captures images from the hand rather than from the head or chest. In accessibility contexts, finger-worn cameras enable blind and low-vision users to point and query objects through…

Finger-mounted Camera(also: Fingertip Camera, Wearable Finger Camera)

A small camera device worn on the finger that enables direct, tactile interaction with printed documents for blind and low-vision users. Unlike handheld or phone-based cameras, finger-mounted systems allow users to trace text with their finger while receiving real-time feedback…

Fingertip Deflection

A haptic guidance technique in which a wearable device gently pulls or tilts the fingertip in a chosen direction (abduction, adduction, flexion, or extension) to bias arm motion toward a target during reach. Unlike vibrotactile alerts that must be symbolically decoded, fingertip…

Finite State Machine(also: FSM, State Machine)

A computational model that can exist in exactly one of a finite number of states at any given time, transitioning between states in response to specific inputs or events. In assistive technology, finite state machines are used to translate simple binary inputs (such as muscle…

Fire Vox(also: FireVox)

An open-source, cross-platform screen reader implemented as a Firefox browser extension, created by Charles Chen as part of the CLC-4-TTS Suite. Fire Vox was notable as one of the earliest assistive technologies to support WAI-ARIA live regions, making it a key tool in the…

Fitness Tracker(also: Activity Tracker, Wearable Fitness Device)

A wearable electronic device that monitors and records physical activity metrics such as steps taken, distance covered, calories burned, and heart rate. Most commercial fitness trackers use step-counting algorithms that rely on detecting the repetitive arm swing of walking,…

Flash Pattern Analyzer(also: FPA, PEAT, Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool)

Software tools designed to detect potentially dangerous flashing or strobing patterns in digital media that could trigger seizures or other photosensitive reactions. The Harding Flash Pattern Analyzer (FPA) and the free Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool (PEAT) evaluate video…

Flatbed Scanner(also: Desktop Scanner, Document Scanner)

A device that uses a flat glass surface on which documents or books are placed face-down to be digitised by a sensor that moves beneath the glass. In assistive technology, flatbed scanners have been used with optical character recognition (OCR) and text-to-speech software to…

Focus Mode

A privacy technique in visual assistance technologies that spotlights a specific object of interest while obfuscating or hiding all other elements in the image or video. For example, a user might activate focus mode to view only a microwaveable meal while everything else in the…

Focusmate

An online platform that facilitates virtual body doubling by matching users with accountability partners for timed video co-working sessions. Users keep their cameras on, state their goals at the beginning of each session, and report on progress at the end. Focusmate creates…

Force Feedback(also: Haptic Force Feedback, Kinesthetic Feedback)

A type of haptic technology that applies physical forces to the user through a device such as a stylus, joystick, or glove, simulating the sensation of touching or interacting with virtual objects. Unlike vibrotactile feedback which only provides vibrations, force feedback can…

Force Feedback Joystick(also: Haptic Joystick, Rumble Joystick)

An input device that combines a traditional joystick with motors or actuators that apply physical resistance, vibration, or directional forces to the user's hand, providing tactile information about the virtual environment being navigated. In accessibility applications, force…

Force-Sensing Resistor(also: FSR, Force Sensor)

A sensor that decreases in electrical resistance when physical pressure is applied to its surface. Force-sensing resistors are commonly used in assistive technology and accessibility applications to create pressure-sensitive input devices, haptic feedback systems, and adaptive…

Force-sensitive resistor(also: FSR, Pressure sensor)

An electronic sensor whose electrical resistance changes in response to applied physical pressure, enabling detection of both the presence and intensity of touch or force. In accessibility applications, force-sensitive resistors offer advantages over capacitive touchscreens…

Foreground Sound(also: FS)

In sonification-based web accessibility interfaces, a non-speech audio cue that represents individual content elements within a web page, such as links, images, or text blocks. Foreground sounds are designed to be short, distinct, and attention-grabbing, contrasting with the…

Formant Synthesis(also: Rule-based Synthesis, Parametric Synthesis)

A text-to-speech method that generates synthetic speech by modeling the acoustic properties of human vocal production, particularly formants (resonant frequencies of the vocal tract). Rather than using recorded speech segments, formant synthesizers use mathematical rules and…

Foundation Model(also: Large Pretrained Model, General-Purpose AI Model, GPAI)

A foundation model is a large AI model trained on broad, general-purpose data — typically at massive scale using self-supervised or unsupervised learning — that can be adapted (fine-tuned) for a wide range of downstream tasks. Examples include CLIP, DinoV2, GPT-4, and BLIP.…

Frame differencing(also: Temporal differencing, Background subtraction)

A computer vision technique that detects motion or changes in video by comparing consecutive frames pixel by pixel. In accessibility applications, frame differencing can identify instructor actions in presentation videos, detect gestures in sign language recognition, or track…

Free-Space Haptics(also: Mid-Air Haptics, Contactless Haptics)

Haptic feedback technology that applies physical forces or tactile sensations to a user without requiring contact with a mechanical device or surface. Unlike traditional haptic systems that use physical linkages, styluses, or vibrating surfaces, free-space haptic systems create…

Frequency shifting(also: Frequency transposition, Frequency lowering, Spectral shifting)

An audio processing technique that moves sounds from one frequency range to another, typically shifting high-frequency sounds into lower frequency ranges that a person with high-frequency hearing loss can still perceive. Many common hearing loss patterns affect high frequencies…

Functional Assessment(also: Functional Capability Assessment, FA)

A systematic process for evaluating an individual's ability to perform specific tasks or activities, focusing on what a person can actually do rather than their medical diagnosis. In assistive technology contexts, functional assessment measures physical, cognitive, or sensory…

Functional Electrical Stimulation(also: FES)

A rehabilitation technique that uses low-level electrical currents to activate paralyzed or weakened muscles in people with neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury, stroke, or multiple sclerosis. Electrodes placed on the skin or implanted near motor nerves deliver…

Functional Near-Infrared Imaging(also: fNIR, fNIRS, Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy)

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in oxygenated blood volume using near-infrared light transmitted through the skull. In accessibility contexts, fNIR enables brain-computer interfaces that allow people with severe motor disabilities to…

Fused Filament Fabrication(also: FFF, Fused Deposition Modeling, FDM)

A 3D printing technique that creates objects by depositing melted thermoplastic filament layer by layer. FFF printers heat plastic material (commonly PLA or ABS) and extrude it through a nozzle that moves according to digital model coordinates. In accessibility applications, FFF…

41 results.