Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments

Shachar Maidenbaum; Sami Abboud; Galit Buchs; Amir Amedi

doi:10.1109/VR.2015.7223381

Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments

Shachar Maidenbaum, Sami Abboud, Galit Buchs, Amir Amedi

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Graphical virtual environments are currently far from accessible to the blind as most of their content is visual. While several previous environment-specific tools have indeed increased accessibility to specific environments they do not offer a generic solution. This is especially unfortunate as such environments hold great potential for the blind, e.g., for safe orientation and learning. Visual-to-audio Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) can potentially increase their accessibility in such a generic fashion by sonifying the on-screen content regardless of the specific environment. Using SSDs also taps into the skills gained from using these same SSDs for completely different tasks, including in the real world. However, whether congenitally blind users will be able to use this information to perceive and interact successfully virtually is currently unclear. We tested this using the EyeMusic SSD, which conveys shape and color information, to perform virtual tasks otherwise not possible without vision. We show that these tasks can be accomplished by the congenitally blind.

Original language	American English
Title of host publication	2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings
Editors	J. Edward Swan, Anatole Lecuyer, Tobias Hollerer, Victoria Interrante
Pages	233-234
Number of pages	2
ISBN (Electronic)	9781479917273
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2015.7223381
State	Published - 25 Aug 2015
Externally published	Yes
Event	IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Arles, France Duration: 23 Mar 2015 → 27 Mar 2015

Publication series

Name	2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings

Conference

Conference	IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015
Country/Territory	France
City	Arles
Period	23/03/15 → 27/03/15

Keywords

Sensory substitution
Universal access
Virtual reality
blind
navigation
scene recognition

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Access to Document

10.1109/VR.2015.7223381

Cite this

Maidenbaum, S., Abboud, S., Buchs, G., & Amedi, A. (2015). Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments. In J. E. Swan, A. Lecuyer, T. Hollerer, & V. Interrante (Eds.), 2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings (pp. 233-234). Article 7223381 (2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings). https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2015.7223381

Maidenbaum, Shachar ; Abboud, Sami ; Buchs, Galit et al. / Blind in a virtual world : Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments. 2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings. editor / J. Edward Swan ; Anatole Lecuyer ; Tobias Hollerer ; Victoria Interrante. 2015. pp. 233-234 (2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings).

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title = "Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments",

abstract = "Graphical virtual environments are currently far from accessible to the blind as most of their content is visual. While several previous environment-specific tools have indeed increased accessibility to specific environments they do not offer a generic solution. This is especially unfortunate as such environments hold great potential for the blind, e.g., for safe orientation and learning. Visual-to-audio Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) can potentially increase their accessibility in such a generic fashion by sonifying the on-screen content regardless of the specific environment. Using SSDs also taps into the skills gained from using these same SSDs for completely different tasks, including in the real world. However, whether congenitally blind users will be able to use this information to perceive and interact successfully virtually is currently unclear. We tested this using the EyeMusic SSD, which conveys shape and color information, to perform virtual tasks otherwise not possible without vision. We show that these tasks can be accomplished by the congenitally blind.",

keywords = "Sensory substitution, Universal access, Virtual reality, blind, navigation, scene recognition",

author = "Shachar Maidenbaum and Sami Abboud and Galit Buchs and Amir Amedi",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 IEEE.; IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 ; Conference date: 23-03-2015 Through 27-03-2015",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1109/VR.2015.7223381",

language = "American English",

series = "2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings",

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Maidenbaum, S, Abboud, S, Buchs, G & Amedi, A 2015, Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments. in JE Swan, A Lecuyer, T Hollerer & V Interrante (eds), 2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings., 7223381, 2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings, pp. 233-234, IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015, Arles, France, 23/03/15. https://doi.org/10.1109/VR.2015.7223381

Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments. / Maidenbaum, Shachar; Abboud, Sami; Buchs, Galit et al.
2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings. ed. / J. Edward Swan; Anatole Lecuyer; Tobias Hollerer; Victoria Interrante. 2015. p. 233-234 7223381 (2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AB - Graphical virtual environments are currently far from accessible to the blind as most of their content is visual. While several previous environment-specific tools have indeed increased accessibility to specific environments they do not offer a generic solution. This is especially unfortunate as such environments hold great potential for the blind, e.g., for safe orientation and learning. Visual-to-audio Sensory Substitution Devices (SSDs) can potentially increase their accessibility in such a generic fashion by sonifying the on-screen content regardless of the specific environment. Using SSDs also taps into the skills gained from using these same SSDs for completely different tasks, including in the real world. However, whether congenitally blind users will be able to use this information to perceive and interact successfully virtually is currently unclear. We tested this using the EyeMusic SSD, which conveys shape and color information, to perform virtual tasks otherwise not possible without vision. We show that these tasks can be accomplished by the congenitally blind.

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Maidenbaum S, Abboud S, Buchs G, Amedi A. Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments. In Swan JE, Lecuyer A, Hollerer T, Interrante V, editors, 2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings. 2015. p. 233-234. 7223381. (2015 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference, VR 2015 - Proceedings). doi: 10.1109/VR.2015.7223381

Blind in a virtual world: Using sensory substitution for generically increasing the accessibility of graphical virtual environments

Abstract

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Conference

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

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