Using Wii technology to explore real spaces via virtual environments for people who are blind

Abstract

Structured AbstractPurpose -Virtual environments (VEs) that represent real spaces (RSs) give people who are blind the opportunity to build a cognitive map in advance that they will be able to use when arriving at the RS.Design -In this research study Nintendo Wii based technology was used for exploring VEs via the Wiici application. The Wiimote allows the user to interact with VEs by simulating walking and scanning the space.Finding -By getting haptic and auditory feedback the user learned to explore new spaces.We examined the participants' abilities to explore new simple and complex places, construct a cognitive map, and perform orientation tasks in the RS.Originality -To our knowledge, this finding presents the first virtual environment for people who are blind that allow the participants to scan the environment and by this to construct map model spatial representations.

Rehabilitation program integrating virtual environment to improve orientation and mobility skills for people who are blind

“…“Haptics,” which refers to sensing and manipulation through touch, is another modality for interacting with a VE that can provide the user with tactile, kinesthetic, and reaction force information about the environment, as well as a means of controlling events in the VE. Use of a virtual smart cane based on haptic and audio has been reported for people who are blind (Chaudary, & Pulli, 2014; Evett, Battersby, Ridley, & Brown, 2009; Lahav, et al, In Press; Lahav & Mioduser, 2004; Simonnet, Guinard, & Tisseau, 2006). These research results have expressed the validity and potential of such systems for use by people who are blind.…”