CyARM: an alternative aid device for blind persons

With the concept of 'human-machine interface', designed especially for visually impaired persons, we have developed an electric aid device for use in guiding orientation and locomotion. The device, which we call CyARM, measures the distance between a person and an object with an ultrasonic sensor and transmits the distance information to the user's haptic sense. In this report, we will: (1) outline the concept of CyARM, (2) describe its mechanism, and (3) demonstrate three preliminary experiments that verify the usability of CyARM. We conducted the experiments in terms of detection of objects, detection of space, and tracking object movement. As a result of these experiments, we have concluded that CyARM is potentially effective for visually impaired persons. Our study will encourage the related studies of user interfaces, particularly focusing on electric aid devices that guide visually impaired persons in detecting their environment.