CAREER: Using Haptically Augmented Tactile Communication Methods to Foster the Inclusion of the Visually Impaired in STEM Professions

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1151147Christian, SwartzThe American Community Survey reports that there are more than 3.5 million non-institutionalized individuals in the U.S. of working age that are blind or visually impaired (BVI). Within this population are technically talented individuals who have the potential to contribute very substantially to our economy, but face obstacles because of their disability. There is a substantial opportunity cost of their inability to fully participate. A large percentage of BVI individuals are able to effectively enter many areas of the workforce due to the prevalence of Braille; however, many talented people in the BVI community are not able to enter STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related fields because of the substantial hurdles is using Braille in STEM education and professional practice. Scientific graphics (e.g., chemical or biological cycles, flowcharts), mathematical formulas, and common data plots can be extremely cumbersome, if not impossible, to express using existing Braille methods. These tools are essential in any STEM field. A critical need exists to enhance the usefulness of Braille in communicating STEM-related information both in education and in professional practice to allow BVI individuals to participate more fully. This work will investigate the use of 'secondary' tactile cues (haptics) integrated within Braille text, to transform Braille into a more usable communication method for STEM information. The fundamental hypothesis of the work is that haptic attributes (e.g., topological elements, temperature, prickle/fuzziness, slip/stick) can be incorporated within Braille text to dramatically improve information content within the same page space. The three project objectives are to investigate: 1. Integration of topological/textural elements (TE) within standard Braille text to understand psychophysical relationships involving TE enhancement, and to determine its contribution to overall Braille information density, 2. Integration of non-topological haptic elements (prickle/fuzziness, slip/stick, temperature) within Braille to understand perceptibility of these enhancements and determine their contribution to overall Braille information density, and 3. How the design of haptic-based assistive technology can be used within a project-based learning environment to educate engineers to effectively address the needs of the BVI community, and attract BVI students to consider college careers in STEM fields.This work will involve an extensive experimental approach including human sensory assessment of the tactile response of various Braille enhancements in order to determine their effectiveness. Novel platforms for investigation of topological and non-topological haptic sensitivity will be developed as well, as a means of determining psychophysical relationships and the extent that they increase useful information density. All research tasks will be integrated into an educational plan targeting undergraduates, graduate students, and pre-college BVI students.Intellectual Merit. The PI, with expertise in skin tribology and engineering education, is uniquely suited to successfully complete this work which will contribute to existing research fields as well as foster new fields. The anticipated results have the potential to enhance and transform, rather than replace, the Braille system. Results will be of immediate use to others in the field of tactile communication, including those who design other types of assistive technology for the BVI community. The quantitative psychophysical models that relate surface topology to tactile sensitivity will also be useful to designers of user interfaces whether they be consumer, medical, or military applications.Broader Impacts. These results will have far-reaching impact on the understanding of how to enhance Braille to foster inclusion of BVI individuals in STEM-intensive activities. The work will also serve as an instructional platform to expose students to design experiences that incorporate the unique needs of the BVI community. Results will be integrated into the PI's graduate tribology course, while a problem-based pedagogical approach, enVISIBLE, will include pre-college BVI students on engineering design teams in the undergraduate capstone design course at Texas A&M University.