Abstract
This paper summarizes recent developments in audio and tactile feedback based assistive technologies targeting the blind community. Current technology allows applications to be efficiently distributed and run on mobile and handheld devices, even in cases where computational requirements are significant. As a result, electronic travel aids, navigational assistance modules, text-to-speech applications, as well as virtual audio displays which combine audio with haptic channels are becoming integrated into standard mobile devices. This trend, combined with the appearance of increasingly user- friendly interfaces and modes of interaction has opened a variety of new perspectives for the rehabilitation and training of users with visual impairments. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of these developments based on recent advances in basic research and application development. Using this overview as a foundation, an agenda is outlined for future research in mobile interaction design with respect to users with special needs, as well as ultimately in relation to sensor-bridging applications in general
Highlights
A large number of visually impaired people use state-ofthe-art technology to perform tasks in their everyday lives
The Prosthesis Substituting Vision with Audition (PSVA) system uses a biologically more realistic, retinotopic model, in which the central, foveal areas are represented in higher resolution
This paper briefly summarized recent developments on mobile devices in assistive technologies targeting visually impaired people
Summary
A large number of visually impaired people use state-ofthe-art technology to perform tasks in their everyday lives. Such technologies consist of electronic devices equipped with sensors and processors capable of making “intelligent” decisions. 3, an overview is given of generic capabilities provided by stateof-the-art mobile platforms which can be used to support assistive solutions for the visually impaired. 4. an agenda is set out for future research in this area, ranging from basic exploration of perceptual and cognitive issues, to the development of improved techniques for prototyping and evaluation of sensor-bridging applications with visually impaired users
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