Sensory substitution devices (SSDs) can convey visuospatial information through spatialised auditory or tactile stimulation using wearable technology. However, the level of information loss associated with this transformation is unknown. In this study, novice users discriminated the location of two objects at 1.2 m using devices that transformed a 16 Â 8-depth map into spatially

There is an increasing interest in non-visual interfaces for HCI to take advantage of the information processing capability of the other sensory modalities. The BrainPort is a vision-to-tactile sensory substitution device that conveys information through electro-stimulation on the tongue. As the tongue is a horizontal surface, it makes for an interesting platform to study the brain's representation of space. But which way is up on the tongue? We provided participants with perceptually ambiguous stimuli and measured how often different perspectives were adopted; furthermore, whether camera orientation and gender had an effect. Additionally, we examined whether personality (trait extraversion and openness) could predict the perspective taken. We found that self-centered perspectives were predominantly adopted, and that trait openness may predict perspective. This research demonstrates how individual differences can affect the usability of sensory substitution devices, and highlights the need for flexible and customisable interfaces.

The landscape of digital games is segregated by player ability. For example, sighted players have a multitude of highly visual games at their disposal, while blind players may choose from a variety of audio games. Attempts at improving cross-ability access to any of those are often limited in the experience they provide, or disregard multiplayer experiences. We explore ability-based asymmetric roles as a design approach to create engaging and challenging mixedability play. Our team designed and developed two collaborative testbed games exploring asymmetric interdependent roles. In a remote study with 13 mixed-visual-ability pairs we assessed how roles afected perceptions of engagement, competence, and autonomy, using a mixed-methods approach. The games provided an engaging and challenging experience, in which diferences in visual

People with blindness and visual impairments have reduced access to exercise compared to the general population during typical societal functioning. The Coronavirus-19 pandemic completely disrupted daily life for most individuals worldwide, and in the United Kingdom, a stay-at-home order was enforced. One of the sole reasons an individual could leave their home was for the purpose of daily exercise. Here, we examined how the UK national lockdown impacted access to exercise for people with blindness and visual impairment. We used a mixed methods design, collecting quantitative data from two established measures (the Exercise Barriers and Benefits Scale and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and qualitative data from open-ended questions. We found that, during the initial stages of the lockdown, perceived barriers to exercise increased compared to pre-pandemic levels, driven by factors, such as the closure of exercise facilities and additional difficulties posed by social distancing. Interestingly, during the later stages of the UK Coronavirus-19 response, perceived barriers decreased to lower than pre-pandemic levels. Thematic analysis indicated that this may have been due to participants finding new online methods to exercise at home, in combination with the tentative reopening of facilities.

We sought to understand how the perception of personal space is influenced by different levels of social density, spatial density, and type of view impact in South Korea and in the United Kingdom. We employed virtual reality (VR) technology to simulate shared and single occupancy offices and tested a sample of 20 British and 24 Korean participants. Uniquely, we obtained personal space estimations using a virtual disc around the participant which could be extended and retracted to indicate perceived amount of personal space. A more traditional personal space satisfaction score was also determined. We found that in both cultures participants experienced greater perceived personal space 1) when in a sparse rather than dense office and 2) having a view of the city outside the office. Both British and Korean participants had higher personal space satisfaction in the single occupancy office than in shared offices. However, British, but not Korean, participants had significantly higher personal space estimations in single occupancy offices than in shared offices. These results suggest that there is some disparity between abstract scores of personal space satisfaction and more concrete personal space estimates; further, this may be linked to subtle cross-cultural differences in workplace experience.