Using the BrainPort for Independent Travel and Obstacle Avoidance

[摘要] Individuals with visual impairments often have difficulty acquiring environmental and spatial information critical for independent travel.Orientation and mobility (O&M) is the body of knowledge and skills used by individuals with visual impairments for safe and independent travel.To aid this independence, there are a variety of mobility tools and devices to assist individuals traveling in various environments.A review of the relevant literature indicates that individuals may improve both spatial-perception and mobility through the sensory information provided by auditory and haptic sensory substitution systems.These systems provide useful sensory information about the environment and spatial relationships.The research remains limited and the versatility of these sensory substitution systems for real-world applications is still in question. The purpose of this study was to examine the capabilities of the BrainPort sensory substitution system to assist individuals with visual impairments to travel independently and avoid obstacles in a novel outdoor naturalistic environment.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh