Wearable interfaces for orientation and wayfinding

People with severe visual impairment need a means of remaining oriented to their environment as they move through it. Three wearable orientation interfaces were developed and evaluated toward this purpose: a stereophonic sonic guide (sonic “carrot”), speech output, and shoulder-tapping system. Street crossing was used as a critical test setting in which to evaluate these interfaces. The shoulder-tapping system was found most universally usable. Considering the great variety of co-morbidities within this population, the authors concluded that a combined tapping/speech interface would provide usability and flexibility to the greatest number of people under the widest range of environmental conditions. Keywords Orientation aid, blindness, wayfinding, street crossing. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: ASSETS
• Authors: David A. Ross, Bruce B. Blasch
• Keywords: ASSETS 2000, Emerging Technology, Severe Visual Impairment, Street Crossing, Wearable Orientation Interfaces