Analysis of different vibration patterns to guide blind people

The literature indicates the best vibration positions and frequencies on the human body where tactile information is transmitted. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to combine tactile stimuli for navigation. The aim of this study is to compare different vibration patterns outputted to blind people and to determine the most intuitive vibration patterns to indicate direction for navigation purposes through a tactile belt. The vibration patterns that stimulate the front side of the waist are preferred for indicating direction. Vibration patterns applied on the back side of the waist could be suitable for sending messages such as stop.

[1]  Roberta L. Klatzky,et al.  Evaluation of spatial displays for navigation without sight , 2006, TAP.

[2]  Parivash Ranjbar,et al.  Monitor, a Vibrotactile Aid for Environmental Perception: A Field Evaluation by Four People with Severe Hearing and Vision Impairment , 2013, TheScientificWorldJournal.

[3]  J. V. Erp.  Absolute localization of vibrotactile stimuli on the torso , 2008 .

[4]  Charles M. Higgins,et al.  A Navigation Aid for the Blind Using Tactile-Visual Sensory Substitution , 2006, 2006 International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[5]  Elise Faugloire,et al.  Evaluation of heading performance with vibrotactile guidance: the benefits of information-movement coupling compared with spatial language. , 2014, Journal of experimental psychology. Applied.

[6]  R. Cholewiak.  space, and time , 1999 .

[7]  Peter König,et al.  Sensory Augmentation for the Blind , 2012, Front. Hum. Neurosci..

[8]  T. Saaty.  How to Make a Decision: The Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1990 .

[9]  Jan B F van Erp.  Absolute localization of vibrotactile stimuli on the torso. , 2008, Perception & psychophysics.

[10]  J C Craig,et al.  Vibrotactile pattern recognition and discrimination at several body sites , 1984, Perception & psychophysics.

[11]  R. Cholewiak,et al.  Vibrotactile localization on the abdomen: Effects of place and space , 2004, Perception & psychophysics.

[12]  Roger W. Cholewiak,et al.  The Perception of Tactile Distance: Influences of Body Site, Space, and Time , 1999 .

[13]  Barbara Leporini,et al.  Vibrotactile feedback to aid blind users of mobile guides , 2009, J. Vis. Lang. Comput..

[14]  Eamonn O'Neill,et al.  A Comparison of Two Wearable Tactile Interfaces with a Complementary Display in Two Orientations , 2010, HAID.

[15]  J.B.F. van Erp,et al.  ISO's work on tactile and haptic interaction guidelines , 2006 .

[16]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.