Search Results (4)

Tactile maps designed for individuals with blindness can greatly improve their mobility, safety and access to new locations. While 3D-printed maps have already been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for delivering spatial information, they might not always be available. Alternatively, a combination of audio and haptic information can be used to efficiently encode 2D maps. In this paper, we discuss the development and user-testing of a novel audio-haptic map creator application. Maps created using this application can provide people with blindness with a tool for understanding the navigational routes and layouts of spaces before physically visiting the site. Thirteen people with blindness tested various components of the virtual map application, such as audio, haptic feedback and navigation controls. Participants’ data and feedback were collected and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the virtual maps as it relates to this user group’s readability and usability. The study showed that it was easy to use and that it efficiently delivered information about travel routes and landmarks that the participants could successfully understand. Full article

Although most readers associate the term virtual reality (VR) with visually appealing entertainment content, this technology also promises to be helpful to disadvantaged people like blind or visually impaired people. While overcoming physical objects’ and spaces’ limitations, virtual objects and environments that can be spatially explored have a particular benefit. To give readers a complete, clear and concise overview of current and past publications on touchable and walkable audio supplemented VR applications for blind and visually impaired users, this survey paper presents a high-level taxonomy to cluster the work done up to now from the perspective of technology, interaction and application. In this respect, we introduced a classification into small-, medium- and large-scale virtual environments to cluster and characterize related work. Our comprehensive table shows that especially grounded force feedback devices for haptic feedback (‘small scale’) were strongly researched in different applications scenarios and mainly from an exocentric perspective, but there are also increasingly physically (‘medium scale’) or avatar-walkable (‘large scale’) egocentric audio-haptic virtual environments. In this respect, novel and widespread interfaces such as smartphones or nowadays consumer grade VR components represent a promising potential for further improvements. Our survey paper provides a database on related work to foster the creation process of new ideas and approaches for both technical and methodological aspects. Full article

When used in educational settings, simulations utilizing virtual reality (VR) technologies can reduce training costs while providing a safe and effective learning environment. Tasks can be easily modified to maximize learning objectives of different levels of trainees (e.g., novice, intermediate, expert), and can be repeated for the development of psychomotor skills. VR offers a multisensory experience, providing visual, auditory, and haptic sensations with varying levels of fidelity. While simulating visual and auditory stimuli is relatively easy and cost-effective, similar representations of haptic sensation still require further development. Evidence suggests that mixing high- and low-fidelity realistic sensations (e.g., audition and haptic) can improve the overall perception of realism, however, whether this also leads to improved performance has not been examined. The current study examined whether audiohaptic stimuli presented in a virtual drilling task can lead to improved motor performance and subjective realism, compared to auditory stimuli alone. Right-handed participants (n = 16) completed 100 drilling trials of each stimulus type. Performance measures indicated that participants overshot the target during auditory trials, and undershot the target during audiohaptic trials. Undershooting is thought to be indicative of improved performance, optimizing both time and energy requirements. Full article

The Sound of Vision project involves developing a sensory substitution device that is aimed at creating and conveying a rich auditory representation of the surrounding environment to the visually impaired. However, the feasibility of such an approach is strongly constrained by neural flexibility, possibilities of sensory substitution and adaptation to changed sensory input. We review evidence for such flexibility from various perspectives. We discuss neuroplasticity of the adult brain with an emphasis on functional changes in the visually impaired compared to sighted people. We discuss effects of adaptation on brain activity, in particular short-term and long-term effects of repeated exposure to particular stimuli. We then discuss evidence for sensory substitution such as Sound of Vision involves, while finally discussing evidence for adaptation to changes in the auditory environment. We conclude that sensory substitution enterprises such as Sound of Vision are quite feasible in light of the available evidence, which is encouraging regarding such projects. Full article