Abstract
This action research study examined the design elements of three VR games that used an HTC VIVE VR helmet, two HTC game controllers, and a VR horse simulator for functionality and transferability to orientation and mobility (O&M) education for visually impaired individuals. The functionality of the VR games was tested with a visually-impaired individual based upon five characteristics that are important to O&M education: perimeter scanning then grid scanning, hearing, touch, smell, and perceptions of body positions. The horse simulator has potential benefits for proprioception and kinesthesia development. The inconsistent haptic feedback requires redesign consideration for inclusion within VR games and systems for O&M education.
Highlights
Sensory cues from the environment have assisted visually impaired individuals with orientation and mobility (O&M), often through echolocation, referred to as facial vision, and other prompts for navigation
We evaluated three virtual reality (VR) games to determine elements of VR game design that do not work well to support future O&M education within a VR game environment
The researchers discussed the design of the game, the usefulness of its features for entertainment or education of visually impaired users, aspects that were challenging to a visually impaired user, and elements that could be used as a basis for programming for future games to teach O&M skills to visually impaired users
Summary
Sensory cues from the environment have assisted visually impaired individuals with orientation and mobility (O&M), often through echolocation, referred to as facial vision, and other prompts for navigation. To develop skills for O&M and to serve as preplanning aids for building and community navigation, game-based verbal cues have activated spatial mental imagery for the visually impaired players to help them to complete tasks within 2D and 3D games (Connors et al, 2013). Many educational and entertainment games have been developed and adopted; future VR game design can be informed by assessing what works and what does not work within games that are played by visually impaired game players. Use of sensory substitution devices, adaptations for individual differences, and attributes that are most effective for visually impaired players can help form future O&M educational VR game designs
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