A Navigation Aid for the Blind Using Tactile-Visual Sensory Substitution

Johnson, L. Clark; Higgins, Charles M.

doi:10.1109/iembs.2006.259473

Cited by 121 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The belt vibrated continuously, and users were able to incorporate this background cue into their navigation behaviour. A similar approach was taken by Johnson and Higgins [14], applying the technique to navigation for blind users. Their tactor belt was aimed at helping people avoid obstacles in their surroundings, motivated in part by a desire to lessen the effect of navigation on users' other activities.…”

Section: Haptics For Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigation your way: from spontaneous independent exploration to dynamic social journeys

Robinson

Jones

Williamson

et al. 2011

Pers Ubiquit Comput

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In this article we describe a novel approach to pedestrian navigation using bearing-based haptic feedback. People are guided in the general direction of their destination via a minimal directional cue, but additional exploration is stimulated by varying feedback based on the potential for taking alternative routes. This extreme navigation method removes the complexities of maps and direction following, concentrating on allowing pedestrians to actively explore their surroundings, rather than offering perfect, but passive, turn-by-turn guidance. We simulate and build two mobile prototypes to examine the possible benefits of this approach, then further extend its impact by considering how social media might be incorporated to provide a real-time, dynamically-evolving map of physical locations. The successful use of our mobile prototypes is demonstrated in a realistic field trial, and we discuss the results and interesting participant behaviours that were recorded, validating the predictions from their earlier simulation. We continue by simulating the use of publicly-posted status updates and pictures as a proxy for location mapping, showing how these methods can produce comparable navigation results to real field trials, highlighting their potential as tools for real-world social journeys.

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Section: Haptics For Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigation your way: from spontaneous independent exploration to dynamic social journeys

Robinson

Jones

Williamson

et al. 2011

Pers Ubiquit Comput

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“…For example, information can be gathered with ultrasonic sensor, laser scanners, or cameras, and user can be informed via auditory [2][3][4] [5] or tactile device [6][7] [8]. In recent years, vision-based travel-aids systems using camera have won more attentions due to advantages like larger sensing area, higher sensing resolution as well as low cost.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the TVS system developed by Johnson and Higgins [6] transformed depth information into a tactile belt with 14 vibration motors laterally attached. Also the Tyflos navigator system [7] converts depth map into vibration sensing on a 2-D vibration array that is attached on the user' s abdomen.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vision-based Walking Guidance System Using Top-view Transform and Beam-ray Model

Lin¹,

Han²,

Hahn³

2011

Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information

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This paper presents a walking guidance system for blind pedestrians in an outdoor environment using just one single camera. Unlike many existing travel-aid systems that rely on stereo-vision, the proposed system aims to get necessary information of the road environment by using just single camera fixed at the belly of the user. To achieve this goal, a top-view image of the road is used, on which obstacles are detected by first extracting local extreme points and then verified by the

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“…Transformation of visual information into tactile or acoustic information has been attempted in several studies aimed at improving the environmental perception of blind people [2][3][4][5][6]. Johnson and Higgins developed a wearable device that converts the visual information picked up by a Webcam into tactile signals, which are then presented by 14 vibrating motors spaced on a flexible belt [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vibrotactile identification of signal-processed sounds from environmental events

Ranjbar

Stranneby²,

Borg³

2009

JRRD

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Abstract-This study compared three different signal-processing principles (eight basic algorithms)-transposing, modulating, and filtering-to find the principle(s)/algorithm(s) that resulted in the best tactile identification of environmental sounds. The subjects were 19 volunteers (9 female/10 male) who were between 18 and 50 years old and profoundly hearing impaired. We processed sounds produced by 45 representative environmental events with the different algorithms and presented them to subjects as tactile stimuli using a wide-band stationary vibrator. We compared eight algorithms based on the three principles (one unprocessed, as reference). The subjects identified the stimuli by choosing among 10 alternatives drawn from the 45 events. We found that algorithm and subject were significant factors affecting the results (repeated measures analysis of variance, p < 0.001). We also found large differences between individuals regarding which algorithm was best. The test-retest variability was small (mean +/-95% confidence interval = 8 +/-3 percentage units), and no correlation was noted between identification score and individual vibratory thresholds. One transposing algorithm and two modulating algorithms led to significantly better results than did the unprocessed signals (p < 0.05). Thus, the two principles of transposing and modulating were appropriate, whereas filtering was unsuccessful. In future work, the two transposing algorithms and the modulating algorithm will be used in tests with a portable vibrator for people with dual sensory impairment (hearing and vision).

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A Navigation Aid for the Blind Using Tactile-Visual Sensory Substitution

Cited by 121 publications

References 16 publications

Navigation your way: from spontaneous independent exploration to dynamic social journeys

Navigation your way: from spontaneous independent exploration to dynamic social journeys

Vision-based Walking Guidance System Using Top-view Transform and Beam-ray Model

Vibrotactile identification of signal-processed sounds from environmental events

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