This study aims at the conception of haptic and vocal navigation software that permits blind sailors to create and simulate ship itineraries. This question implies a problematic about the haptic strategies used by blind people to build their space representation when using maps. According to current theories, people without vision are able to construct cognitive maps of their environment but the lack of sight tends to lead them to build egocentric and sequential mental pictures of space. Nevertheless, exocentric and unified representations are more efficient. Can blind people be helped to construct more effective spatial pictures? Prior works have shown that strategies are the most important factors in spatial performance in large-scale space. To encode space in an efficient way, we made our subject use the cardinal points reference in small-scale space. During our case study, a compass establishes a frame of external cues. In this respect, we support the assumption that training based on systematic exocentric reference helps blind subjects to build unified space. At the same time, this training has led the blind sailor to change his haptic strategies to explore tactile maps and to perform better. This seems to modify his processing of space representation. Eventually, we would like to study the transfer between map representation and environment mobility. Our final point is about using strategy based on cardinal points and haptic virtual reality technologies to help the blind improve their spatial cognition.
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