VR System to Aid Mobility of Blind Individuals

描述（由申请人提供）：缺乏视觉信息给盲人在不熟悉的空间行走带来了很大的困难。目前，这项任务所需的定向和移动（O&M）技能是由专业教师按照课程教授的，例如卡罗尔盲人中心使用的课程。由于成本削减和当前培训方法的其他限制（如探索时间和重复次数的限制），可用的O&M讲师减少的负面影响可以通过应用麻省理工学院触摸实验室开发的桌面虚拟现实（VR）技术的最新发展来最小化。在卡罗尔中心和麻省理工学院触摸实验室之间的这个合作项目中，我们建议开发一个具有3D触觉和音频反馈的桌面VR系统，盲人用户可以在实际遇到他们之前与他们熟悉的真实空间的虚拟模型进行交互。项目的具体目标是：(1)开发具有空间特征的VR系统；(2)对完全失明的个体进行实验，以科学地理解(a)他们如何探索虚拟空间，(b)他们如何使用VR系统构建陌生空间的认知地图，以及(c)他们如何在真实空间中进行谈判时激活认知地图。在VR中的探索有望(1)增加盲人的自信心；(2)给他们一个整体的、灵活的认知模型，帮助他们控制信息密度；(3)提供一个刺激的、全面的、彻底的对目标空间的认识。触觉设备正变得越来越便宜，因此在不久的将来，人们可以负担得起的虚拟现实系统将变得实用。因此，这项研究的三个长期好处是：(a)将VR系统整合到康复中心的操作与维护课程中，以改善他们对盲人的服务；(b)开发一个虚拟现实系统，可用于通过互联网下载具有触觉和听觉反馈的空间地图，类似于当前的地图程序（例如Mapquest）；(c)将VR系统整合到K-12的学术课程中（例如，物理、几何等课程中数据的文字感受）。相关目标包括发展盲人运维服务提供者与先进信息技术和认知科学研究领域的研究人员和开发人员之间的对话、理解和合作研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Lack of visual information imposes great difficulties on blind individuals walking through unfamiliar spaces. Currently, the orientation and mobility (O&M) skills needed for this task are taught by expert instructors following a curriculum, such as the one used at the Carroll Center for the Blind. The negative impact of reductions in the available O&M instructors due to cost cutting and other limitations of the current training methods such as limits on exploration time and number of repetitions can be minimized through the application of recent developments in desktop virtual reality (VR) technology developed at the MIT Touch Lab. In this collaborative project between the Carroll Center and the MIT Touch Lab, we propose to develop a desktop VR system with 3D haptic and audio feedback with which blind users can interact with virtual models of real spaces that they are familiar with them before actually encountering them. The specific aims of the project are (1) to develop the VR system with spatial features; (2) To conduct experiments with totally blind individuals to develop a scientific understanding of (a) how they explore virtual spaces, (b) how they construct cognitive maps of unfamiliar spaces using the VR system, and (c) how they activate the cognitive maps in negotiating through the real space. Exploring in the VR is expected to (1) increase the self- confidence of blind individuals; (2) give them a holistic and flexible cognitive model that will help them control the information density, and (3) provide a stimulating, comprehensive and thorough acquaintance with the target space. The haptic devices are becoming cheaper so that affordable VR systems can be practical in the near future. As a result of this the three long-term benefits of this research are (a) integrating the VR system into an O&M curriculum at rehabilitation centers, to improve their services for blind individuals; (b) developing a VR system that can be used to download spatial maps with haptic and: auditory feedback via the Internet, similar to the current map programs (e.g., Mapquest); (c) integrating the use of VR system in K-12 academic curriculum (e.g., literal feeling of data in Physics, Geometry etc.). Associated aims include the development of conversation, understanding, and collaborative research between the O&M service providers for blind individuals with researchers and developers in the advanced information technology and cognitive science research fields.