User Centered Design of Non-Visual Audio-Haptics

Summary, in English

The following article reports result from an extensive study with 25 blind users from Italy and Sweden performed during the summer 2001. The tasks reported here test recognition of geometrical objects, recognition of VRML objects, mathematical surfaces and navigation in a traffic environment. The outcome of these tests show that blind users are able to handle also quite complex objects and environments, and that realistic virtual environments in some cases appear easier to handle than more abstract test environments. This highlights the importance of context, and thus the usefulness

of other input channels beside the purely haptic one. Another factor observed to be important is haptic scanning strategy. Tentative results for age, gender and blindness from birth are presented, and the importance of accurate haptic models is pointed

out.

• Author: Kirsten Rassmus-Gröhn
• Department/s: Certec - Rehabilitation Engineering and Design
• Publishing year: 2008
• Language: English
• Full text: - 817 kB; Download statistics
• Links: http://www.certec.lth.se/doc/ucdofnonvisualaudiohaptics
• Document type: Dissertation
• Topic: Human Computer Interaction
• Keywords: Haptic; audio; non-visual; user-centered design; school; drawing; children
• Status: Published
• Research group: Audio-Haptic Interactive Design
• Supervisor: Bodil Jönsson
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 978-91-976894-5-8
• Defence date: 28 November 2008
• Defence time: 10:15
• Defence place: Blå Hallen, Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, Lund University Faculty of Engineering
• Opponent: Olav W Bertelsen (Associative Professor)