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Around-the-Head Tactile System for Supporting Micro Navigation of People with Visual Impairments

Authors:

Oliver Beren Kaul,

Benjamin SimonAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), Volume 28, Issue 4

Article No.: 27, Pages 1 - 35

https://doi.org/10.1145/3458021

Published: 23 July 2021 Publication History

Abstract

Tactile patterns are a means to convey navigation instructions to pedestrians and are especially helpful for people with visual impairments. This article presents a concept to provide precise micro-navigation instructions through a tactile around-the-head display. Our system presents four tactile patterns for fundamental navigation instructions in conjunction with continuous directional guidance. We followed an iterative, user-centric approach to design the patterns for the fundamental navigation instructions, combined them with a continuous directional guidance stimulus, and tested our system with 13 sighted (blindfolded) and 2 blind participants in an obstacle course, including stairs. We optimized the patterns and validated the final prototype with another five blind participants in a follow-up study. The system steered our participants successfully with a 5.7 cm average absolute deviation from the optimal path. Our guidance is only a little less precise than the usual shoulder wobbling during normal walking and an order of magnitude more precise than previous tactile navigation systems. Our system allows various new use cases of micro-navigation for people with visual impairments, e.g., preventing collisions on a sidewalk or as an anti-veering tool. It also has applications in other areas, such as personnel working in low-vision environments (e.g., firefighters).

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Hudec MSmutny Z(2024)Principles of User Interface Design Enabling People With Blindness Professional Work in Administration of Energy Systems in Intelligent Buildings Comparable to Sighted WorkersIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2024.342533012(94176-94196)Online publication date: 2024
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Index Terms

Around-the-Head Tactile System for Supporting Micro Navigation of People with Visual Impairments
1. Human-centered computing

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction Volume 28, Issue 4

August 2021

297 pages

ISSN:1073-0516

EISSN:1557-7325

DOI:10.1145/3477419

Editor:
Kristina Höök
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

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Copyright © 2021 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 23 July 2021

Accepted: 01 March 2021

Revised: 01 March 2021

Received: 01 July 2020

Published in TOCHI Volume 28, Issue 4

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Cited By

Samsel ZGunia AJäger MSchöning J(2025)A comparison of vibrotactile patterns in an early warning system for obstacle detection using a haptic vestApplied Ergonomics10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104396122(104396)Online publication date: Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104396
Hudec MSmutny Z(2024)Principles of User Interface Design Enabling People With Blindness Professional Work in Administration of Energy Systems in Intelligent Buildings Comparable to Sighted WorkersIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2024.342533012(94176-94196)Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3425330
Gu QLi XCai QZhu KDai CZhang YSun LTao YWang G(2024)MyWay: a 3D and audio-enhanced transportation learning kit for the visually impaired teenagersCCF Transactions on Pervasive Computing and Interaction10.1007/s42486-024-00163-yOnline publication date: 23-Jul-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42486-024-00163-y
Terenti MPamparău CVatavu R(2024)The user experience of distal arm-level vibrotactile feedback for interactions with virtual versus physical displaysVirtual Reality10.1007/s10055-024-00977-228:2Online publication date: 22-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10055-024-00977-2
Yu NMa SLin CFan CTaglialatela LHuang TYu CCheng YLiao YChen M(2023)DrivingVibe: Enhancing VR Driving Experience using Inertia-based Vibrotactile Feedback around the HeadProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36042537:MHCI(1-22)Online publication date: 13-Sep-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3604253
Wittchen DSchreyer GRamian AFreitag G(2023)Investigating Apparent Tactile Motion and Cutaneous Rabbit Illusion to Support Cyclists’ NavigationProceedings of Mensch und Computer 202310.1145/3603555.3608523(300-306)Online publication date: 3-Sep-2023
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Lian YLiu DJi W(2023)Survey and analysis of the current status of research in the field of outdoor navigation for the blindDisability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology10.1080/17483107.2023.222722419:4(1657-1675)Online publication date: 4-Jul-2023
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Wersényi G(2022)Perception Accuracy of a Multi-Channel Tactile Feedback System for Assistive TechnologySensors10.3390/s2222896222:22(8962)Online publication date: 19-Nov-2022
https://doi.org/10.3390/s22228962
Yang ZYang LKong LWei ALeaman JBrooks JLi B(2022)SeeWay: Vision-Language Assistive Navigation for the Visually Impaired2022 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC)10.1109/SMC53654.2022.9945087(52-58)Online publication date: 9-Oct-2022
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Xiong ZHuang X(2022)Comparison of the Static and Dynamic Vibrotactile Interactive Perception of Walking Navigation Assistants for Limited Vision PeopleIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2022.316740710(42261-42267)Online publication date: 2022
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