Echo-house: exploring a virtual environment by using echolocation
Echo-house: exploring a virtual environment by using echolocation
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Echo-house：使用回声定位探索虚拟环境
DOI：
10.1145/3292147.3292163
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发表时间：
2018
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
F. Vetere
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Ronny Andrade;Steven Baker;Jenny Waycott;F. Vetere
大多数虚拟环境（VE）的图形密集型本质使许多视力障碍的人无法成功地探索它们。众所周知，一部分视力障碍者会使用回声定位（声波及其反射）来更好地探索周围环境。在本文中，我们描述了一个回声定位功能的VE（回声屋）的发展和评估的可行性，使用回声定位作为一种新的技术来探索这个环境。结果表明，回声定位使参与者在VE中的空间感得到改善。然而，评估也确定了一系列的方向和流动性问题，并发现参与者需要额外的支持，以获得他们在VE中使用回声定位的信心。我们的研究结果表明，在适当的支持下，回声定位有可能通过揭示原本无法访问的功能来改善盲人或视力受损者对VE的访问。
The graphics-intensive nature of most virtual environments (VEs) prevents many people with visual impairment from being able to successfully explore them. A percentage of the population of people with visual impairment are known to use echolocation -sound waves and their reflections- to better explore their surroundings. In this paper, we describe the development of an echolocation-enabled VE (Echo-House) and evaluate the feasibility of using echolocation as a novel technique to explore this environment. Results showed that echolocation gave participants an improved sense of space in the VE. However, the evaluation also identified a range of orientation and mobility issues and found that participants needed additional support to gain confidence in their use of echolocation in the VE. Our findings suggest that with proper support, echolocation has the potential to improve access to VEs for people who are blind or visually impaired by revealing features that would be otherwise inaccessible.