User Centered Design of Non-Visual Audio-Haptics

The following article reports result from an extensive study with 25 blind users from Italy and Sweden performed during the summer 2001. The tasks reported here test recognition of geometrical objects, recognition of VRML objects, mathematical surfaces and navigation in a traffic environment. The outcome of these tests show that blind users are able to handle also quite complex objects and environments, and that realistic virtual environments in some cases appear easier to handle than more abstract test environments. This highlights the importance of context, and thus the usefulness of other input channels beside the purely haptic one. Another factor observed to be important is haptic scanning strategy. Tentative results for age, gender and blindness from birth are presented, and the importance of accurate haptic models is pointed out.

[1]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Drawing and guiding gestures in a mathematical task using the AHEAD application , 2007 .

[2]  Kirsten Rassmus-Gröhn,et al.  Enabling audio-haptics , 2006 .

[3]  Donald A. Norman,et al.  User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction , 1988 .

[4]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Force design for memory aids in haptic environments , 2007 .

[5]  Patrick Roth,et al.  Graphics and User's Exploration via Simple Sonics (GUESS): Providing Interrelational Representation of Objects in a Non-visual Environment , 2001 .

[6]  Gregg C. Vanderheiden,et al.  Use of Audio-Haptic Interface Techniques to Allow Nonvisual Access to Touchscreen Appliances , 1996 .

[7]  Grigore C. Burdea,et al.  Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality , 1996 .

[8]  Roope Raisamo,et al.  Perception strategies in modal-redistributed interaction , 2005, First Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. World Haptics Conference.

[9]  M. Bergamasco,et al.  Computer graphics access for blind people through a haptic and audio virtual environment , 2004, Proceedings. Second International Conference on Creating, Connecting and Collaborating through Computing.

[10]  Lars Grönvik.  Definitions of Disability in Social Sciences : Methodological Perspectives , 2007 .

[11]  Gregory Kramer,et al.  Auditory Display: Sonification, Audification, And Auditory Interfaces , 1994 .

[12]  Gregory Kramer,et al.  An introduction to auditory display , 1994 .

[13]  Lucy Suchman,et al.  Human-Machine Reconfigurations: Plans and Situated Actions , 2006 .

[14]  Helen Petrie,et al.  Haptic virtual reality for blind computer users , 1998, Assets '98.

[15]  Beryl Plimmer,et al.  Multimodal collaborative handwriting training for visually-impaired people , 2008, CHI.

[16]  C. Magnusson,et al.  Navigation and recognition in complex haptic virtual environments: Reports from an extensive study with blind users , 2002 .

[17]  Lone Malmborg,et al.  Situated Research and Design for Everyday Life , 2005, Nordes 2005: In the Making.

[18]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Non Visual Haptic Audio Tools for Virtual Environments , 2006, HAID.

[19]  Pernilla Ulfvengren,et al.  Design of Natural Warning Sounds in Human-Machine Systems , 2003 .

[20]  Calle Sjöström,et al.  Non-Visual Haptic Interaction Design - Guidelines and Applications , 2002 .

[21]  Wai Yu,et al.  Using Non-speech Sounds to Improve Access to 2D Tabular Numerical Information for Visually Impaired Users , 2001, BCS HCI/IHM.

[22]  Gunnar Jansson,et al.  The PHANToM used without visual guidance. , 1999 .

[23]  Åke Daun,et al.  Natur och kultur , 1998 .

[24]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  User Evaluations of a Virtual Haptic-Audio Line Drawing Prototype , 2006, HAID.

[25]  Peter Anderberg,et al.  FACE Disabled People, Technology and Internet , 2006 .

[26]  Lois W. Sayrs.  Interviews : an introduction to qualitative research interviewing , 1996 .

[27]  Marc Rettig,et al.  Prototyping for tiny fingers , 1994, CACM.

[28]  Stephen A. Brewster,et al.  Exploring computer-generated line graphs through virtual touch , 2001, Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Signal Processing and its Applications (Cat.No.01EX467).

[29]  Stephen A. Brewster,et al.  Web-based haptic applications for blind people to create virtual graphs , 2003, 11th Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2003. HAPTICS 2003. Proceedings..

[30]  P. Latey.  The balance of , 1997 .

[31]  Ludek Pokluda,et al.  Spatial orientation in buildings using models with haptic feedback , 2005, First Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. World Haptics Conference.

[32]  John M. Kennedy,et al.  Drawing and the Blind: Pictures to Touch , 1993 .

[33]  Gunnar Jansson,et al.  Can the Efficiency of a Haptic Display Be Increased by Short-Time Practice in Exploration? , 2000, Haptic Human-Computer Interaction.

[34]  Alain Abran,et al.  Usability Meanings and Interpretations in ISO Standards , 2003, Software Quality Journal.

[35]  Paul Dourish,et al.  Where the action is , 2001 .

[36]  W. Buxton.  Human-Computer Interaction , 1988, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[37]  Victor Kaptelinin,et al.  Acting with technology: Activity theory and interaction design , 2006, First Monday.

[38]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Iterative design of an audio-haptic drawing application , 2007, CHI Extended Abstracts.

[39]  Gaurav S. Sukhatme,et al.  Touch in Virtual Environments: Haptics and the Design of Interactive Systems , 2001 .

[40]  Paul Dourish,et al.  Implications for design , 2006, CHI.

[41]  Stephen A. Brewster,et al.  Multimodal Trajectory Playback for Teaching Shape Information and Trajectories to Visually Impaired Computer Users , 2008, TACC.

[42]  Mike Burton,et al.  Perception of Gradient in Haptic Graphs by Sighted and Visually Impaired Subjects , 2002 .

[43]  Jakob Nielsen,et al.  Usability engineering , 1997, The Computer Science and Engineering Handbook.

[44]  Oussama Khatib,et al.  Beyond the Looking Glass : The Haptic Exploration of Virtual Environments , 2003 .

[45]  Katarzyna Szymkiewicz.  Navigating with ears in hand: Multimodal interaction and avatar control in a 3D haptic game environment , 2008 .

[46]  Stephen A. Brewster,et al.  Comparing two haptic interfaces for multimodal graph rendering , 2002, Proceedings 10th Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. HAPTICS 2002.

[47]  Serafino Buono,et al.  ICF- INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY AND HEALTH , 2003 .

[48]  Denis Chêne,et al.  Touching Geometry for Blind Pupils , 2004, ICCHP.

[49]  Helen Petrie,et al.  Haptic virtual environments for blind people : exploratory experiments with two devices , 1999 .

[50]  Martin Kurze,et al.  TDraw: a computer-based tactile drawing tool for blind people , 1996, Assets '96.

[51]  Stephen Brewster,et al.  Providing a Structured Method for Integrating Non-Speech Audio into Human-Computer Interfaces , 1994 .

[52]  Ben Shneiderman,et al.  Designing The User Interface , 2013 .

[53]  D. Halpern.  Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities , 1986 .

[54]  Peter Anderberg,et al.  Design side by side , 2006 .

[55]  Per-Olof Hedvall.  Xings for Augmented Family Communication , 2008 .

[56]  Kirsten Rassmus-Gröhn,et al.  The sense of touch provides new computer interaction techniques for disabled people , 1999 .

[57]  Calle Sjöström,et al.  The IT potential of haptics: Touch access for people with disabilities , 1999 .

[58]  Thierry Pun,et al.  An audio-haptic tool for non-visual image representation , 2001, Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Signal Processing and its Applications (Cat.No.01EX467).

[59]  Stephen Brewster,et al.  Providing external memory aids in haptic visualisations for blind computer users , 2005 .

[60]  Paul Saffo.  The consumer spectrum , 1996 .

[61]  Fabio De Felice,et al.  A haptic/acoustic application to allow blind the access to spatial information , 2007, Second Joint EuroHaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (WHC'07).

[62]  Yvonne Rogers,et al.  Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction , 2002 .

[63]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Test of pan and zoom tools in visual and non-visual audio haptic environments , 2007 .

[64]  Fredrik Winberg,et al.  Contextualizing Accessibility : Interaction for Blind Computer Users , 2008 .

[65]  Fredrik Winberg,et al.  Designing accessible auditory drag and drop , 2002, CUU '03.

[66]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Audio haptic tools for navigation in non visual environments , 2005 .

[67]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  Phantom-based haptic line graphics for blind persons , 2003 .

[68]  Charlotte Magnusson,et al.  A virtual traffic environment for people with visual impairments , 2005 .