ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation

Arshad Nasser; Kai Ning Keng; Kening Zhu

doi:10.1145/3373625.3417004

ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation

Arshad Nasser, Kai Ning Keng, Kening Zhu

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

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Non-visual feedback (e.g., auditory and haptic) has been used as directional cues for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This paper presents the design and the evaluation of ThermalCane, a white-cane grip instrumented with multiple flexible thermal modules, to offer thermotactile directional cues for BVI users. We also conducted two thermotactile experiments on users' perception of ThermalCane. Our first experiment with twelve BVI users reports on the selection of the thermal-module configuration, considering the BVI users' perceptive accuracy and preference. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the four-module ThermalCane in walking with 6 BVI users, in comparison with vibrotactile cues. The results show that the thermal feedback yielded significantly higher accuracy than the vibrotactile feedback. The results also suggested the feasibility of using thermal directional cues around the cane grip for BVI users' navigation.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery, Inc
ISBN (Electronic)	9781450371032
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3373625.3417004
State	Published - 26 Oct 2020
Externally published	Yes
Event	22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS 2020 - Virtual, Online, Greece Duration: 26 Oct 2020 → 28 Oct 2020

Publication series

Name	ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

Conference

Conference	22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS 2020
Country/Territory	Greece
City	Virtual, Online
Period	26/10/20 → 28/10/20

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 ACM.

Keywords

directional cue
navigation
tactile white cane
thermal haptic
Thermotactile
visually impaired

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Computer Networks and Communications
Hardware and Architecture
Human-Computer Interaction
Software

Access to Document

10.1145/3373625.3417004

Cite this

Nasser, A., Keng, K. N., & Zhu, K. (2020). ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation. In ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility Article 3417004 (ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility). Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1145/3373625.3417004

Nasser, Arshad ; Keng, Kai Ning ; Zhu, Kening. / ThermalCane : Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation. ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 2020. (ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility).

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abstract = "Non-visual feedback (e.g., auditory and haptic) has been used as directional cues for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This paper presents the design and the evaluation of ThermalCane, a white-cane grip instrumented with multiple flexible thermal modules, to offer thermotactile directional cues for BVI users. We also conducted two thermotactile experiments on users' perception of ThermalCane. Our first experiment with twelve BVI users reports on the selection of the thermal-module configuration, considering the BVI users' perceptive accuracy and preference. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the four-module ThermalCane in walking with 6 BVI users, in comparison with vibrotactile cues. The results show that the thermal feedback yielded significantly higher accuracy than the vibrotactile feedback. The results also suggested the feasibility of using thermal directional cues around the cane grip for BVI users' navigation.",

keywords = "directional cue, navigation, tactile white cane, thermal haptic, Thermotactile, visually impaired",

author = "Arshad Nasser and Keng, {Kai Ning} and Kening Zhu",

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month = oct,

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Nasser, A, Keng, KN & Zhu, K 2020, ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation. in ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility., 3417004, ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS 2020, Virtual, Online, Greece, 26/10/20. https://doi.org/10.1145/3373625.3417004

ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation. / Nasser, Arshad; Keng, Kai Ning; Zhu, Kening.
ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 2020. 3417004 (ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility).

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

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Nasser A, Keng KN, Zhu K. ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation. In ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. 2020. 3417004. (ASSETS 2020 - 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility). doi: 10.1145/3373625.3417004

ThermalCane: Exploring Thermotactile Directional Cues on Cane-Grip for Non-Visual Navigation

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this