Three-dimensional virtual environments for blind children.

Jaime Sánchez; Mauricio Sáenz

doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.200

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Three-dimensional virtual environments for blind children.

Jaime Sánchez·Mauricio Sáenz

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Abstract

Information technologies are increasingly helping to integrate and socially include people with visual disabilities. Computing technologies have contributed grandly to attain this goal through innovative techniques and applications. Virtual environments, I/O interfaces, and sound based applications altogether with usability and cognitive impact studies are some of the most used research designs for children with visual disabilities. This study presents the design and usability evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) interactive environments for children with visual disabilities. We introduce AudioChile and AudioVida, interactive virtual environments that can be navigated through 3D sound to enhance spatiality and immersion throughout the environments 3D sound is used to orientate, to avoid obstacles, and to identify the position of diverse personages and objects within the environment. Usability evaluation results indicated that sound can be fundamental for attention and motivation purposes during interaction.

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Acoustic Stimulation Adolescent Attention Blindness Child Computer Simulation Children with Disabilities Humans Learning Orientation Software Space Perception Spatial Behavior Therapy, Computer-Assisted User-Computer Interface Evaluation Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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Jaime Sánchez, Mauricio Sáenz. 2006. Three-dimensional virtual environments for blind children.. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.200

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