Perception of Tactile Graphics

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的广泛目标是回答以下问题：为什么触觉图形难以理解？视力正常的人可以很容易地识别物体的线条画。然而，盲人和有视力的人都发现，当相同的图画以触觉图像呈现时，识别它们非常困难。对于盲人来说，触觉图形是获取教科书中可见图表和插图中信息的唯一解决方案。因此，拟议研究的结果将用于改进触觉图形的制作，以便盲人更好地理解它们。该项目的具体目标是：1）探索触觉图像的复杂性如何影响感知，2）确定空间和时间整合对触觉图像感知的影响，以及3）调查人们如何识别嵌入背景中的物体的触觉图像。拟议的实验的一般方法是向参与者提供触觉图像，并让他们画出他们所感知的图像。盲人将使用特殊的纸张和手写笔绘制触觉图像。实验者将通过使用定量测量来评估绘画，该测量计算反映原始图像和参与者的绘画之间的差异的距离分数。在第一项研究中，参与者将感受到不同复杂程度的触觉刺激，从不同方向的简单线条到物体的复杂轮廓。第二项研究将通过限制参与者感受图像的空间或时间窗口来确定触觉感知整合的局限性。参与者将通过各种尺寸的孔径（空间窗口）观看或感受图像，或者他们将有有限的时间观看或感受图像（时间窗口）。在第三项研究中，参与者将感受到嵌入简单背景中的物体的触觉图像。这项研究将影响多个研究领域，包括计算机视觉，人类物体和场景识别以及低视力康复。 公共卫生相关性：相关性-拟议的研究旨在改善视觉图形到触觉图形的翻译，供视障人士使用。通过使视觉图形中的信息更容易获得，这项研究将改善为低视力者提供的教育服务。这项工作还将促进开发更好的视觉-触觉替代技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The broad objective of the proposed research is to answer the following question: why are tactile graphics difficult to understand? People with normal vision can easily recognize line drawings of objects. However, both blind and sighted people find it very difficult to recognize the same drawings when they are presented as tactile images. For blind people, tactile graphics are the only solution for accessing information in visual diagrams and illustrations found in textbooks. Consequently, the results of the proposed research will be used to improve the production of tactile graphics so that they are better understood by blind people. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) explore how the complexity of tactile images affects perception, 2) determine the effects of spatial and temporal integration on perception of tactile images, and 3) investigate how well people can recognize tactile images of objects embedded in backgrounds. The general methodology of the proposed experiments is to present participants with tactile images and to have them draw what they perceive the images to be. Blind individuals will draw tactile images using special paper and a stylus. The experimenters will evaluate the drawings by using a quantitative measure that computes a distance score reflecting the discrepancy between the original image and the participant's drawing. In the first study, participants will feel tactile stimuli of varying complexity, from simple lines in different orientations to complex depictions of objects. The second study will determine the limitations of tactile perceptual integration by limiting either the spatial or temporal window over which participants feel the image. Participants will either view or feel images through apertures of various sizes (spatial window) or they will have a limited amount of time to view or feel the images (temporal window). In the third study, participants will feel tactile images of objects embedded in simple backgrounds. This research will impact several areas of study, including computer vision, human object and scene recognition, and low vision rehabilitation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Relevance The proposed research seeks to improve the translation of visual graphics into tactile graphics for use by visually-impaired individuals. By making the information in visual graphics more accessible, this research will improve educational services for people with low vision. This work will also facilitate the development of better visual-to-tactile substitution technologies.