A Systematic Survey on Image Description Techniques for STEM Domains

Abstract

The proliferation of visual data in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields presents accessibility barrier for individuals with blindness or visual impairments. While recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities to generate textual descriptions of STEM images, the research landscape is fragmented and its impact on real users remains limited. This systematic survey examines 20 peer-reviewed studies on AI-based techniques for describing STEM visuals, with a specific focus on accessibility and human-computer interaction. Following the PRISMA methodology and a ROBIS-based risk-of-bias assessment, the review analyzes (i) the types of STEM visuals targeted, (ii) the AI and machine learning architectures employed, (iii) the datasets and evaluation metrics adopted, and (iv) the interaction modalities through which descriptions are delivered. The analysis reveals a shift from static, one-shot alt text toward interactive and multimodal systems that integrate conversational interfaces, keyboard navigation, and audio or haptic feedback. However, critical challenges persist, including factual inaccuracies and hallucinations, the scarcity of accessibility-first datasets co-designed with blind and low-vision users, and a heavy reliance on automatic text-overlap metrics that poorly capture perceived usefulness and trust. The survey concludes by outlining key research directions for HCI, emphasizing user-controlled verbosity, explainable and verifiable AI pipelines, and the integration of accessible description tools into mainstream STEM authoring and learning environments.