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Phantom-based haptic line graphics for blind persons

Sjöström, Calle LU ; Danielsson, Henrik LU ; Magnusson, Charlotte LU orcid and Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten LU orcid (2003) In Visual Impairment Research 5(1). p.13-32
Abstract
Haptic interface technology has the potential of becoming an important component of access systems for people who are blind or visually disabled. The purpose of this study was to learn more about how a haptic interface, in this case the Phantom from SensAble Technologies, can be used to give blind persons access to 2D graphics and similar computer-based graphics. User tests were carried out with 24 blind users from Sweden and Italy. The tests included mathematical curves, haptic picture reliefs and haptic floor plans. This article reports on both technical solutions and results from the user tests. The results were influenced both by the nature of the different tasks and by individual differences among the test persons. 72% of the users... (More)
Haptic interface technology has the potential of becoming an important component of access systems for people who are blind or visually disabled. The purpose of this study was to learn more about how a haptic interface, in this case the Phantom from SensAble Technologies, can be used to give blind persons access to 2D graphics and similar computer-based graphics. User tests were carried out with 24 blind users from Sweden and Italy. The tests included mathematical curves, haptic picture reliefs and haptic floor plans. This article reports on both technical solutions and results from the user tests. The results were influenced both by the nature of the different tasks and by individual differences among the test persons. 72% of the users managed to solve the applied mathematical problem that was the task for the mathematics program. The results for the picture reliefs were highly dependent on contextual information: 33%-66% of the users could identify the haptic picture reliefs without contextual cues, whereas more than 80% of the users could identify parts of the drawing once they knew what was depicted. More than 80% of the users could use the haptic floor plans. This research has implications for new ways in which blind persons can gain access to graphical information, even on the Internet. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Synskador och blindhet, Haptiska gränssnitt - Virtual Reality
in
Visual Impairment Research
volume
5
issue
1
pages
13 - 32
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85014899659
ISSN
1388-235X
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
983a8251-1f53-42fd-a552-14ac1dd73f94 (old id 754828)
alternative location
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a714021215~db=all~order=page
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:29:59
date last changed
2022-03-07 21:39:57
@article{983a8251-1f53-42fd-a552-14ac1dd73f94,
  abstract     = {{Haptic interface technology has the potential of becoming an important component of access systems for people who are blind or visually disabled. The purpose of this study was to learn more about how a haptic interface, in this case the Phantom from SensAble Technologies, can be used to give blind persons access to 2D graphics and similar computer-based graphics. User tests were carried out with 24 blind users from Sweden and Italy. The tests included mathematical curves, haptic picture reliefs and haptic floor plans. This article reports on both technical solutions and results from the user tests. The results were influenced both by the nature of the different tasks and by individual differences among the test persons. 72% of the users managed to solve the applied mathematical problem that was the task for the mathematics program. The results for the picture reliefs were highly dependent on contextual information: 33%-66% of the users could identify the haptic picture reliefs without contextual cues, whereas more than 80% of the users could identify parts of the drawing once they knew what was depicted. More than 80% of the users could use the haptic floor plans. This research has implications for new ways in which blind persons can gain access to graphical information, even on the Internet.}},
  author       = {{Sjöström, Calle and Danielsson, Henrik and Magnusson, Charlotte and Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten}},
  issn         = {{1388-235X}},
  keywords     = {{Synskador och blindhet; Haptiska gränssnitt - Virtual Reality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{13--32}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Visual Impairment Research}},
  title        = {{Phantom-based haptic line graphics for blind persons}},
  url          = {{http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a714021215~db=all~order=page}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}