A Prototype Audio-Tactile Map System with an Advanced Auditory Display

• Published in: International journal of mobile human computer interaction Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 53 - 75
• Main Authors: O'Sullivan, Liam, Picinali, Lorenzo, Gerino, Andrea, Cawthorne, Douglas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hershey IGI Global 01.10.2015
• Subjects: Assessments; Assistive technology devices; Audio data; Background noise; Cartography; Design engineering; Engineering research; Exteriors; Interactive; Navigation; Navigational aids; People with disabilities; Prototypes; Tablet computers; Tactile; Technology application; Visual impairment; Visually impaired persons
• ISSN: 1942-390X; 1942-3918
• DOI: 10.4018/IJMHCI.2015100104

Tactile surfaces can display information in a variety of applications for all users, but can be of particular benefit to blind and visually impaired individuals. One example is the use of paper-based tactile maps as navigational aids for interior and exterior spaces; visually impaired individuals may use these to practice and learn a route prior to journeying. The addition of an interactive auditory display can enhance such interfaces by providing additional information. This article presents a prototype system which tracks the actions of a user's hands over a tactile surface and responds with sonic feedback. The initial application is an Audio-Tactile Map (ATM); the auditory display provides verbalised information as well as environmental sounds useful for navigation. Two versions of the interface are presented; a desktop version intended as a large-format information point and a mobile version which uses a tablet computer overlain with tactile paper. Details of these implementations are provided, including observations drawn from the participation of a partially-sighted individual in the design process. A usability test with five visually impaired subjects also gives a favourable assessment of the mobile version.