Haptic display of space through portable nav aids

描述（由申请人提供）：通过视觉障碍者的便携式导航辅助设备的触觉显示空间：通过触摸的空间感知是对视力下降时丧失的能力的主要补偿，并且长手杖可以说仍然是视觉障碍者最受欢迎和最有效的导航辅助设备。通过手杖手柄感知的力和扭矩是用户推断环境布局的两个最重要的线索。令人惊讶的是，这些提示并没有被明确地纳入电子旅行辅助设备中，而是专注于听觉或振动触觉编码的距离，这两种编码都与环境布局的感知没有直观的联系，其目标是利用力和扭矩提示，这使得手杖的使用首先非常直观，以有效地传达手杖无法触及的环境布局。我们将开发一种新型的电子旅行辅助设备，利用这些线索，结合测距传感器，以实现这种直观的可辨别空间的扩展。这些设备既可以用作一般的导航辅助设备，也可以用于特定的情况，例如寻找街道另一侧的物理地标，以方便穿越。在本研究中，我们将分别讨论力和扭矩线索，以确定它们在空间感知中的作用，并将其应用于导航以及障碍物检测和回避。我们将进行实验，并开发针对这两种类型的线索的设备。然后将在一组共同的任务中对两种类型的器械进行评价，以便于进行比较。由于这项关于电子旅行辅助工具的研究建立在使用中最有效的旅行辅助工具的原则基础上，它有望大大提高视力受损者的导航能力，并对独立性和生活质量产生相关影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Haptic display of space through portable navigation aids for the visually impaired: Spatial perception via touch is a primary compensation for the capabilities lost when vision is diminished, and the long cane arguably remains the most popular and effective navigation aid for the visually impaired. Forces and torques sensed through the handle of the cane are two of the most important cues through which users infer the layout of the environment. Surprisingly, these cues have not been explicitly incorporated into electronic travel aids, which have instead focused on auditory or vibrotactile coding of distance, neither of which is intuitively associated with the sensing of environmental layout.The goal is to utilize force and torque cues, which make the use of the cane so very intuitive in the first place, to effectively convey the layout of the environment beyond the reach of the cane. We will develop a novel class of electronic travel aids that utilize these cues, in conjunction with rangefinding sensors, to achieve this intuitive extension of discernible space. These devices can be used either as generalized navigation aids or in specific situations, such as for seeking out physical landmarks on the other side of a street to facilitate crossing. We will address force and torque cues separately in this study to determine their individual roles in spatial perception as applied to navigation as well as obstacle detection and avoidance. We will perform experiments and develop devices tailored to each of the two types of cues. Both types of devices will then be evaluated in a common set of tasks to facilitate comparisons. Since this research on electronic travel aids builds on principles derived from the most effective travel aid in use, it promises a significant enhancement of navigation capabilities of the visually impaired, with associated effects on independence and quality of life.