Haptic Virtual Environments to Enhance Navigation and Mobility of Blind People

触觉虚拟环境可增强盲人的导航和移动性

基本信息

批准号：
8133826
负责人：
MANDAYAM A SRINIVASAN
金额：
$ 38.54万
依托单位：
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2010
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2010-09-01 至 2015-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8133826
关键词：
Acquaintances Area Canis familiaris Categories Cognitive Cognitive Science Collaborations Complex Destinations Development Devices Diagnosis Educational Curriculum Educational process of instructing Engineering Environment Face Feedback Floor Foundations Funding Future Goals Grant Hand Home environment Human Individual Information Technology Internet Knowledge Learning Libraries Maps Methods Metric Modeling Motor Operating System Participant Physical Efforts Play Positioning Attribute Protocols documentation Provider Questionnaires Rehabilitation Centers Rehabilitation therapy Research Research Personnel Research Project Grants Robot Role Scientist Sensory Series Services Simulate Sorting - Cell Movement Space Explorations Specialist Speed System Teaching Method Testing Time Touch sensation Training Transportation Vision Visit Visual impairment Visually Impaired Persons Walking Work auditory feedback base blind density design experience flexibility frontier global environment graphical user interface haptics improved instructor novel operation programs public health relevance research study robotic device skills tool usability virtual way finding

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our ability to navigate spaces independently, safely and efficiently is a combined product of sensory, motor and cognitive skills. When navigating through an unknown environment, the sense of vision plays a primary role in guiding sighted people safely to their destination. Lacking this information, blind people face great difficulties in exploring new spaces. For most blind individuals, walking into an unknown environment can be quite unpleasant and uncomfortable even after extensive orientation and mobility (O&M) rehabilitation training. The current O&M teaching methods have significant deficiencies such as limits on exploration time, exploration space, the physical effort needed and the required number of repetitions. In this proposed continuation of a collaborative project (funded by a R21 Exploratory/Developmental research grant from NEI) between The Carroll Center and The Touch Lab at MIT, we propose to further develop BlindAid, a desktop virtual environment (VE) system with 3D haptic and 3D audio feedback with which blind users can interact with virtual models of real spaces in order to become familiar with the spaces and their content prior to visiting them. This project includes two categories of specific aims. The first set of specific aims is to design and develop a VE system for users who are blind. It includes the development of (a) a virtual environment editor for the instructor/experimenter, and (b) navigation tools, such as, a virtual guide agent, multi- scale environments and GPS compatibility. The second set of specific aims is to conduct experiments on the use of the VE system, as follows: (a) exploration of virtual models, (b) construction of cognitive maps, and (c) activation of the cognitive maps when traversing through real spaces. Exploring interactively in the VE is expected to give the people who are blind a holistic and flexible cognitive model that will help them control the information density, and to provide a stimulating, comprehensive and thorough acquaintance with the target space. As a result, the three long-term benefits of this research are (a) integrating the VE system into an O&M curriculum at rehabilitation centers to improve their training services for blind individuals; (b) developing a VE system that can be used to download spatial maps with haptic and auditory feedback via the Internet that are compatible with GPS systems; (c) integrating the use of VE system in K-12 academic curriculums. Associated benefits include the development of collaborative research between the O&M service providers and researchers in the advanced information technology and cognitive science research fields. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research project has been designed to expand the usability and usefulness of a novel virtual environment (VE) system that has been shown to help blind individuals explore and become familiar with unknown environments (e.g., a public transportation station or public library) before actually encountering and navigating through them. The planned experiments to evaluate this VE system with touch, feel, and audio interfaces can also contribute to the scientific understanding of how people who are blind construct and use cognitive maps of real spaces. This system can be integrated into the traditional orientation and mobility training curriculum at rehabilitation centers, or can be used to interact with downloaded spatial maps via the Internet, similar to the current map programs (e.g., Mapquest, Google Maps) that use a graphical interface for sighted users.

描述（由申请人提供）：我们独立、安全、高效地在空间中导航的能力是感觉、运动和认知技能的综合产物。当穿越未知环境时，视觉在引导视力正常的人安全到达目的地方面发挥着主要作用。缺乏这些信息，盲人在探索新空间时面临巨大困难。对于大多数盲人来说，即使经过广泛的定向和移动（O&M）康复训练，走进一个未知的环境也会非常不愉快和不舒服。目前的运维教学方法存在探索时间、探索空间、所需体力、重复次数等方面的限制等显着缺陷。在卡罗尔中心和麻省理工学院触摸实验室之间拟议的合作项目（由 NEI 的 R21 探索/发展研究资助资助）的延续中，我们建议进一步开发 BlindAid，这是一个具有 3D 触觉的桌面虚拟环境 (VE) 系统3D 音频反馈，盲人用户可以通过该反馈与真实空间的虚拟模型进行交互，以便在访问这些空间之前熟悉这些空间及其内容。该项目包括两类具体目标。第一个具体目标是为盲人用户设计和开发 VE 系统。它包括开发 (a) 供教师/实验者使用的虚拟环境编辑器，以及 (b) 导航工具，例如虚拟引导代理、多尺度环境和 GPS 兼容性。第二组具体目标是对VE系统的使用进行实验，具体如下：（a）虚拟模型的探索，（b）认知图的构建，以及（c）穿越真实场景时认知图的激活空间。 VE中的交互探索有望为盲人提供全面、灵活的认知模型，帮助他们控制信息密度，并对目标空间提供刺激、全面、透彻的认识。因此，这项研究的三个长期好处是：（a）将VE系统整合到康复中心的O&M课程中，以改善对盲人的培训服务； (b) 开发一个VE系统，可用于通过互联网下载带有触觉和听觉反馈的空间地图，且与GPS系统兼容； (c) 将 VE 系统的使用纳入 K-12 学术课程。相关的好处包括运维服务提供商与先进信息技术和认知科学研究领域的研究人员之间开展合作研究。公共健康相关性：拟议的研究项目旨在扩展新型虚拟环境（VE）系统的可用性和实用性，该系统已被证明可以帮助盲人探索和熟悉未知环境（例如公共交通车站或公共场所）。库），然后才真正遇到并浏览它们。计划进行的实验通过触摸、感觉和音频接口来评估这个 VE 系统，也有助于科学理解盲人如何构建和使用真实空间的认知地图。该系统可以集成到康复中心的传统方向和移动训练课程中，或者可以用于与通过互联网下载的空间地图进行交互，类似于当前使用图形界面的地图程序（例如，Mapquest、Google Maps）对于有视力的用户。