Tactile Interface Design for Helping Mobility of People with Visual Disabilities

This paper aims to study the process of converting the depth information of a real scene captured in a real environment into a tactile representation through a haptic device. We developed a belt-shaped interface with a matrix of 35 (7x5) vibrotactile actuators attached to the users' abdomen. Tests demonstrated that the device can help users to perceive the movement of objects and people, as well as allow them to move in environments containing obstacles without the usage of the vision. The system was tested both with users who are blind and with blindfolded participants. The stages of building and testing the interface as well as the tests applied in this research are described.