Haptic visualization of real-world environmental data for individuals with visual impairments

Abstract

In this paper, we present a haptic visualization system that transforms visual perception of depth into a 3D tangible experience. This haptic interface is used to enable a user with visual impairments to explore a remote environment through touch feedback. Experiments with participants with/without visual impairments are constructed, and results are presented that show efficiency of the system as well as discuss responses from user interaction. Furthermore, a viable solution is described that utilizes the presented methodology of transforming image-based data into haptic representation for assisting in STEM education for students with visual impairments. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.