Towards a Cognitive Model of Human Mobility: An Investigation of Tactile Perception for use in Mobility Devices

Abstract

This paper reports the results of the first three in a series of experiments on tactile perception which form part of a larger project on tactile perceptions and spatial representations and the design of tactile interfaces for mobility devices for blind, partially sighted and deafblind people. The results indicate the potential of tactile interfaces, including to support environmental exploration and mobility. The participants showed reasonably good ability to determine the direction of motion of an arrow, with best recognition rates in the up and right directions. They showed reasonably good ability to use a tactile interface to detect and avoid obstacles after a very short learning period and more limited ability to learn and remember an environmental representation using information from a tactile interface and walking through the environment without specific instructions.