You no longer need to be able to see to enjoy virtual reality. A walking cane that simulates the feeling of real objects is letting people who are blind explore digital simulations.
People who lose their sight require extensive training to learn how to navigate the world safely. This can be daunting, especially when it involves risky scenarios like crossing busy roads.
To address this, at Microsoft and her colleagues invented a 鈥溾�� that helps people familiarise themselves with new environments in safe, virtual spaces.
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Users sweep the device from side to side like a normal cane to locate virtual objects. It vibrates when it connects with one and a mechanism worn around the waist gives a sense of physical resistance. Earphones provide appropriate noises when a virtual object is tapped.
The researchers invited nine visually-impaired adults to trial the canetroller in two virtual spaces while standing in an empty 22-square-metre real-life room. One simulated a carpeted room with a metal table and plastic dustbin in the middle, and the other simulated an outdoor street-crossing.
Feel the room
The vibrational and resistance feedback allowed users to locate virtual objects and 鈥渇eel鈥� different textures like rough carpet or smooth concrete. The auditory feedback gave a realistic sensation of passing traffic and made it possible to tap virtual objects to see if they sounded hollow or solid, or concrete, metal or plastic.
The volunteers were impressed by the experience. One told the researchers she actually felt like she was 鈥渉itting up against鈥� the virtual room鈥檚 walls when her cane connected with them. Another said he could convincingly feel textured surfaces: 鈥淎s you sweep through them you feel each individual bump鈥�.
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The canetroller could make it easier for people who are聽visually-impaired to learn their way around difficult or novel environments, says Morris. 鈥淚t could be used to practise navigating in the snow in advance of a storm, or rehearsing the layout of a place in a new city before traveling there,鈥� she says. Another possible application is in gaming, she says.
Morris and her team are now working on making the canetroller more user-friendly. They are planning to make a lighter version, as the current version weighs 2 kilograms.
Proceedings of CHI 2018
