Audiopolis, navigation through a virtual city using audio and haptic interfaces for people who are blind

Abstract

This work studies the usability of an audio and haptic-based virtual environment for learners with visual disabilities, intended for orientation and mobility purposes. To this end Audiopolis, a videogame for navigating a virtual city through interaction with audio and haptic interfaces, was designed and evaluated. Iconic and end-user usability evaluations of the videogame were administered. The results show that Audiopolis is highly usable and understandable for end users. An ongoing cognitive evaluation of navigation skills as a result of using Audiopolis is being implemented. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.