Predicting Successful Tactile Mapping of Virtual Objects

Abstract

Improving spatial ability of blind and visually impaired people is the main target of orientation and mobility (O&M) programs. In this study, we use a minimalistic mouse-shaped haptic device to show a new approach aimed at evaluating devices providing tactile representations of virtual objects. We consider psychophysical, behavioral, and subjective parameters to clarify under which circumstances mental representations of spaces (cognitive maps) can be efficiently constructed with touch by blindfolded sighted subjects. We study two complementary processes that determine map construction: low-level perception (in a passive stimulation task) and high-level information integration (in an active exploration task). We show that jointly considering a behavioral measure of information acquisition and a subjective measure of cognitive load can give an accurate prediction and a practical interpretation of mapping performance. Our simple TActile MOuse (TAMO) uses haptics to assess spatial ability: this may help individuals who are blind or visually impaired to be better evaluated by O&M practitioners or to evaluate their own performance.

The Importance of Visual Experience, Gender, and Emotion in the Assessment of an Assistive Tactile Mouse

“…Using pin arrays seems a promising solution, but prototypes have a too much high price per pin [8]. We have proposed a minimalist tactile mouse and verified that the understanding of simple 2.5D solids is possible [9] in blindfolded individuals. We have also shown that it stimulates visuo-spatial pathways both in sighted and blind subjects [10].…”

“…Feeling full 3D objects -where the facets opposite to the hand can be touched -would require other more expensive instruments such as the Phantom. However, objects having a curved height profile can be displayed (we discuss vertical resolution of the lever in [9]) and might be easy to perceive. Here we focused on objects for which perception of edges was crucial and almost entirely dependent on subject's strategy and capability of integrating subsequent updown stimuli.…”

“…Moreover these parameters comply with an ecological way of collecting data, which is peculiar to rehabilitation protocols. Our measure of the amount of acquired information can be collected in an unsupervised way, is quantifiable and has been shown [9] to correlate with performance. Using more extensive methods of information pick-up [35], [36], related to contour following, may strengthen our findings.…”

“…Bas-relief representations can therefore be displayed, as shown in figure 1, as TAMO generates a taxel for each pixel of the tablet. More details on the device are available in [9].…”

The Influence of Tactile Cognitive Maps on Auditory Space Perception in Sighted Persons

“…For example, we have shown that touch helps to develop cognitive maps of surroundings in absence of vision (Campus et al, 2012) by eliciting the known phenomenon of sensory substitution (Bach-y-Rita and Kercel, 2003). However, when comparing persons with different degrees of visual disabilities, vision modulates the extent to which tactile information builds up abstract mental models (Brayda et al, 2013, 2015). On the other hand we have also found that brain regions deputed to tacto-spatial processing are similar to those elicited by audio-spatial processing (Leclerc et al, 2005; Campus et al, 2012).…”