Our project’s goal was to test the feasibility of a novel vibrotactile guidance system, in the form of a belt, for helping blind walkers with wayfinding by enabling them to receive haptic directional instructions without negatively impacting their ability to listen and/or perceive the environment. We evaluated the belt interface in a controlled study with 10 blind individuals and compared it to an audio guidance system. The experiments were videotaped and the participants’ behaviors and comments were content analyzed. Completion times and deviations from ideal paths were also collected and statistically analyzed.
Researchers from UCSC: Sri Kurniawan, German Flores, Roberto Manduchi, Lourdes Morales-Villaverde.
Researchers from Toyota ITC: Erich Martinson, Akin Sisbot.
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