Nicholas A . Giudice - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Nicholas A . Giudice
Frontiers in Education
Graphical representations are ubiquitous in the learning and teaching of science, technology, eng... more Graphical representations are ubiquitous in the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, these materials are often not accessible to the over 547,000 students in the United States with blindness and significant visual impairment, creating barriers to pursuing STEM educational and career pathways. Furthermore, even when such materials are made available to visually impaired students, access is likely through literalized modes (e.g., braille, verbal description), which is problematic as these approaches (1) do not directly convey spatial information and (2) are different from the graphic-based materials used by students without visual impairment. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a universally accessible system for communicating graphical representations in STEM classes. By combining a multisensory vibro-audio interface and an app running on consumer mobile hardware, the system is meant to work equally well for all ...
Proceedings of the 2023 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2021
A significant number of individuals in the United States report a disability that limits their ab... more A significant number of individuals in the United States report a disability that limits their ability to travel, including many people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI). The implications of restricted transportation result in negative impacts related to economic security, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life. Fully autonomous vehicles (FAVs) present a means to mitigate travel barriers for this population by providing new, safe, and independent travel opportunities. However, current policies governing interactions with the artificial intelligence (AI) ‘at the wheel’ of FAVs do not reflect the accessibility needs articulated by BVI people in the extant literature, failing to encourage use cases that would result in life changing mobility. By reviewing the legislative and policy efforts surrounding FAVs, we argue that the heart of this problem is due to a disjointed, laissez-faire approach to FAV accessibility that has yet to actualize the full benefits of th...
Navigation systems have become increasingly available and more complex over the past few decades ... more Navigation systems have become increasingly available and more complex over the past few decades as maps have changed from largely static visual and paper-based representations to interactive and multimodal computerized systems. In this introductory article to the Special Issue on Human-computer Interaction, Geographic Information, and Navigation, we review literature across a variety of fields to generate nine design principles to guide future research and development of navigation systems. Specifically, we suggest making mobile navigation systems more accessible and multimodal, which will make the systems more inclusive and usable for all types of users. We also introduce the research articles contributed to the present special issue and suggest future research directions to empirically evaluate emerging and untested features of user-adapted and context-aware mobile navigation systems.
Sensory impairment raises interesting questions regarding the brain's ability for functional ... more Sensory impairment raises interesting questions regarding the brain's ability for functional reorganization. One particularly interesting instance of this reorganization is the remarkable remapping (called cortical plasticity) of visual areas in the blind population. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated activation in visual areas of blind subjects in response to feeling tactile stimuli (Sadato et. al, 1996, 1998; Cohen et. al, 1997; Buchel et. al 1998). In this experiment, we further investigated the role of the traditional visual areas of the brain in tactile pattern recognition and shape discrimination in blind and sighted people. While the literature demonstrates some level of functional reorganization in the brains of blind individuals, many questions remain unresolved. In particular does tactile stimulation result in:
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2020
With content rapidly moving to the electronic space, access to graphics for individuals with visu... more With content rapidly moving to the electronic space, access to graphics for individuals with visual impairments is a growing concern. Recent research has demonstrated the potential for representing basic graphical content on touchscreens using vibrations and sounds, yet few guidelines or processes exist to guide the design of multimodal, touchscreen-based graphics. In this work, we seek to address this gap by synergizing our collective research efforts over the past eight years and implementing our findings into a compilation of recommendations, which we validate through an iterative design process and user study. We start by reviewing previous work and then collate findings into a set of design guidelines for generating basic elements of touchscreen-based multimodal graphics. We then use these guidelines to generate exemplary graphics in mathematics, specifically bar charts and geometry concepts. We discuss the iterative design process of moving from guidelines to actual graphics a...
Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 2021
Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) app on hea... more Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) app on heart failure for remote training of nursing students and compare it against recorded video lecture. We conducted a quasi-experimental study using pretest-posttest design with junior nursing students. Methods The experimental group used the self-paced app; the control group viewed the same content using pre-recorded video lecture. Results There were no significant differences in learning, although more students indicated that they preferred the AR app. Conclusion As a stand-alone teaching method, AR apps may perform as well as video lectures and may encourage student engagement.
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2020
This article first reviews the pros and cons of current accessible indoor navigation systems and ... more This article first reviews the pros and cons of current accessible indoor navigation systems and then describes a study using commercial smart devices to navigate routes through a complex building. Our interest was in comparing performance when using real-time narrative descriptions (system-aided condition) vs. a memory-based condition where the same narrative information was only provided to users from the route's origin. We tested two groups of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users, including people above and below 60 years of age, as well as a third sighted control group. Evaluating older BVI participants is important, as the majority of vision loss is age-related, yet navigation performance using access technology is rarely studied with this demographic. Behavioral results demonstrated that access to real-time (system-aided) information led to better navigation accuracy and greater confidence by blind users compared to the information-matched memory condition. Performance ...
ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 2020
Vibration plays a significant role in the way users interact with touchscreens. For many users, v... more Vibration plays a significant role in the way users interact with touchscreens. For many users, vibration affords tactile alerts and other enhancements. For eyes-free users and users with visual impairments, vibration can also serve a more primary role in the user interface, such as indicating streets on maps, conveying information about graphs, or even specifying basic graphics. However, vibration is rarely used in current user interfaces beyond basic cuing. Furthermore, designers and developers who do actually use vibration more extensively are often unable to determine the exact properties of the vibration signals they are implementing, due to out-of-the-box software and hardware limitations. We make two contributions in this work. First, we investigate the contextual properties of touchscreen vibrations and how vibrations can be used to effectively convey traditional, embossed elements, such as dashes and dots. To do so, we developed an open source, Android-based library to gene...
International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2020
This paper explores the viability of new touchscreen-based haptic/vibrotactile interactions as a ... more This paper explores the viability of new touchscreen-based haptic/vibrotactile interactions as a primary modality for perceiving visual graphical elements in eyes-free situations. For touchscreen-based haptic information extraction to be both accurate and meaningful, the onscreen graphical elements should be schematized and downsampled to: (1) maximize the perceptual specificity of touch-based sensing and (2) account for the technical characteristics of touchscreen interfaces. To this end, six human behavioral studies were conducted with 64 blind and 105 blindfolded-sighted participants. Experiments 1-3 evaluated three key rendering parameters that are necessary for supporting touchscreen-based vibrotactile perception of graphical information, with results providing empirical guidance on both minimally detectable and functionally discriminable line widths, inter-line spacing, and angular separation that should be maintained. Experiments 4-6 evaluated perceptually-motivated design guidelines governing visual-to-vibrotactile schematization required for tasks involving information extraction, learning, and cognition of multi-line paths (e.g., transit-maps and corridor-intersections), with results providing clear guidance as to the stimulus parameters maximizing accuracy and temporal performance. The six empirically-validated guidelines presented here, based on results from 169 participants, provide designers and content providers with much-needed guidance on effectively incorporating perceptuallysalient touchscreen-based haptic feedback as a primary interaction style for interfaces supporting nonvisual and eyes-free information access.
Optometry and Vision Science, 2018
Touchscreen-based, multimodal graphics represent an area of increasing research in digital access... more Touchscreen-based, multimodal graphics represent an area of increasing research in digital access for individuals with blindness or visual impairments; yet, little empirical research on the effects of screen size on graphical exploration exists. This work probes if and when more screen area is necessary in supporting a patternmatching task. PURPOSE: Larger touchscreens are thought to have distinct benefit over smaller touchscreens for the amount of space available to convey graphical information nonvisually. The current study investigates two questions: (1) Do screen size and grid density impact a user's accuracy on pattern-matching tasks? (2) Do screen size and grid density impact a user's time on task? METHODS: Fourteen blind and visually impaired individuals were given a pattern-matching task to complete on either a 10.5-in tablet or a 5.1-in phone. The patterns consisted of five vibrating targets imposed on sonified grids that varied in density (higher density = more grid squares). At test, participants compared the touchscreen pattern with a group of physical, embossed patterns and selected the matching pattern. Participants were evaluated on time exploring the pattern on the device and their pattern-matching accuracy. Multiple and logistic regressions were performed on the data. RESULTS: Device size, grid density, and age had no statistically significant effects on the model of patternmatching accuracy. However, device size, grid density, and age had significant effects on the model for grid exploration. Using the phone, exploring low-density grids, and being older were indicative of faster exploration time. CONCLUSIONS: A trade-off of time and accuracy exists between devices that seems to be task dependent. Users may find a tablet most useful in situations where the accuracy of graphic interpretation is important and is not limited by time. Smaller screen sizes afforded comparable accuracy performance to tablets and were faster to explore overall.
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing
In this article, we introduce Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web app that allows anyone to q... more In this article, we introduce Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web app that allows anyone to quickly trace the floor plan of a building, generating a vectorized representation that can be automatically converted into a tactile map at the desired scale. The design of SIM is informed by a focus group with seven blind participants. Maps generated by SIM at two different scales have been tested by a user study with 10 participants, who were asked to perform a number of tasks designed to ascertain the spatial knowledge acquired through map exploration. These tasks included cross-map pointing and path finding, and determination of turn direction/walker orientation during imagined path traversal. By and large, participants were able to successfully complete the tasks, suggesting that these types of maps could be useful for pre-journey spatial learning.
Handbook of Behavioral and Cognitive Geography
This chapter considers what it means to learn and navigate the world with limited or no vision. I... more This chapter considers what it means to learn and navigate the world with limited or no vision. It investigates limitations of blindness research, discusses traditional theories of blind spatial abilities, and provides an alternative perspective of many of the oft-cited issues and challenges underlying spatial cognition of blind people. Several provocative assertions pertaining to visual impairment and spatial abilities are advanced that help to better understand navigation without vision, provide greater explanatory power relevant to many of the current debates, and offer some needed guidance on the development of new spatial learning strategies and technological solutions that will ultimately have a significant positive impact on the independence and quality of life of this demographic. An underlying and related theme of the chapter emphasizes the importance of 'space' in spatial cognition research, rather than vision as its principal mechanism. There is no debate that vision is an amazing conduit of spatial information, but it is also important to remember that it does not have a monopoly on space. Indeed, all of our senses encode spatial information to one degree or another, and as we will discuss, this commonality allows for equivalent performance on many of the same spatial behaviors, independent of whether they originate from visual or nonvisual perception.
Spatial Cognition & Computation, 2017
The present study investigated cognitive map development in multilevel built environments. Three ... more The present study investigated cognitive map development in multilevel built environments. Three experiments were conducted in complex virtual buildings to examine the effects of five between-floor structural factors that may impede the accuracy of humans' ability to build multilevel cognitive maps. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 (of three experiments) revealed that difficulties in developing multilevel cognitive maps are not solely caused by the z-axis offset, as is suggested in the literature, but are due to the factorial combination of a between-floor overlap and a z-axis offset. Results from Experiment 2 showed that this process becomes substantially more difficult when the reference directions between different floors have an angular offset from each other. Finally, results from Experiment 3 demonstrated that confusing between-floor heading shifts in aligned buildings did not make it reliably harder to build multilevel cognitive maps. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of theories of mental representations in multilayered three-dimensional spaces, as well as for architectural design.
Multimodal Technologies and Interaction
The ubiquity of multimodal smart devices affords new opportunities for eyes-free applications for... more The ubiquity of multimodal smart devices affords new opportunities for eyes-free applications for conveying graphical information to both sighted and visually impaired users. Using previously established haptic design guidelines for generic rendering of graphical content on touchscreen interfaces, the current study evaluates the learning and mental representation of digital maps, representing a key real-world translational eyes-free application. Two experiments involving 12 blind participants and 16 sighted participants compared cognitive map development and test performance on a range of spatio-behavioral tasks across three information-matched learning-mode conditions: (1) our prototype vibro-audio map (VAM), (2) traditional hardcopy-tactile maps, and (3) visual maps. Results demonstrated that when perceptual parameters of the stimuli were matched between modalities during haptic and visual map learning, test performance was highly similar (functionally equivalent) between the lear...
Blindfolded participants were guided along routes from two display modes: spatial language ("... more Blindfolded participants were guided along routes from two display modes: spatial language ("left," "right," or "straight") or spatialized audio (where the perceived sound location indicates the target direction). Half of the route guidance trials were run concurrently with a secondary vibrotactile N-back task. To assess cognitive map development, subjects performed a homing task from the route's terminus. As spatialized audio displays are processed perceptually, we hypothesized they would be less affected by increased cognitive load than language displays, which require cognitive mediation. In corroboration, results showed the secondary task had no effect on cognitive map performance for guidance by spatialized audio but led to significantly worse homing errors for guidance by spatial language. Spatialized audio was also reliably faster and more accurate than language for traversing the route. These results have important implications for the desig...
This paper describes the details and rationale for a dynamically-updated, context-sensitive verba... more This paper describes the details and rationale for a dynamically-updated, context-sensitive verbal interface, which has been developed to support learning and wayfinding of indoor environments. The purpose of this interface is to serve as a non-visual substitute for apprehending critical navigational information about the environment and facilitating efficient travel by blind navigators. The efficacy of this interface in supporting accurate environmental learning and wayfinding of real and virtual environments was demonstrated with blind and low-vision participants in two experiments. In both studies, participants were able to effectively use the verbal interface to freely explore novel environments and built up a cognitive map which supported subsequent wayfinding tasks. The results of these studies demonstrate that blind navigation is not solely based on route knowledge, as has been argued in the literature. The findings also help to guide future design specifications for speech-b...
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in t... more This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturer's names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agency. This document does not constitute FAA policy. Consult the FAA sponsoring organization listed on the Technical Documentation page as to its use. This report is available at the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center's Full-Text Technical Reports page: actlibrary.tc.faa.gov in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF).
Nothing to report. Actual or Anticipated problems or delays and actions or plans to resolve them ... more Nothing to report. Actual or Anticipated problems or delays and actions or plans to resolve them Nothing to report. Changes that have a significant impact on expenditures Nothing to report. Significant changes in use or care of human subjects Nothing to report.
Frontiers in Education
Graphical representations are ubiquitous in the learning and teaching of science, technology, eng... more Graphical representations are ubiquitous in the learning and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, these materials are often not accessible to the over 547,000 students in the United States with blindness and significant visual impairment, creating barriers to pursuing STEM educational and career pathways. Furthermore, even when such materials are made available to visually impaired students, access is likely through literalized modes (e.g., braille, verbal description), which is problematic as these approaches (1) do not directly convey spatial information and (2) are different from the graphic-based materials used by students without visual impairment. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a universally accessible system for communicating graphical representations in STEM classes. By combining a multisensory vibro-audio interface and an app running on consumer mobile hardware, the system is meant to work equally well for all ...
Proceedings of the 2023 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2021
A significant number of individuals in the United States report a disability that limits their ab... more A significant number of individuals in the United States report a disability that limits their ability to travel, including many people who are blind or visually impaired (BVI). The implications of restricted transportation result in negative impacts related to economic security, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life. Fully autonomous vehicles (FAVs) present a means to mitigate travel barriers for this population by providing new, safe, and independent travel opportunities. However, current policies governing interactions with the artificial intelligence (AI) ‘at the wheel’ of FAVs do not reflect the accessibility needs articulated by BVI people in the extant literature, failing to encourage use cases that would result in life changing mobility. By reviewing the legislative and policy efforts surrounding FAVs, we argue that the heart of this problem is due to a disjointed, laissez-faire approach to FAV accessibility that has yet to actualize the full benefits of th...
Navigation systems have become increasingly available and more complex over the past few decades ... more Navigation systems have become increasingly available and more complex over the past few decades as maps have changed from largely static visual and paper-based representations to interactive and multimodal computerized systems. In this introductory article to the Special Issue on Human-computer Interaction, Geographic Information, and Navigation, we review literature across a variety of fields to generate nine design principles to guide future research and development of navigation systems. Specifically, we suggest making mobile navigation systems more accessible and multimodal, which will make the systems more inclusive and usable for all types of users. We also introduce the research articles contributed to the present special issue and suggest future research directions to empirically evaluate emerging and untested features of user-adapted and context-aware mobile navigation systems.
Sensory impairment raises interesting questions regarding the brain's ability for functional ... more Sensory impairment raises interesting questions regarding the brain's ability for functional reorganization. One particularly interesting instance of this reorganization is the remarkable remapping (called cortical plasticity) of visual areas in the blind population. Previous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated activation in visual areas of blind subjects in response to feeling tactile stimuli (Sadato et. al, 1996, 1998; Cohen et. al, 1997; Buchel et. al 1998). In this experiment, we further investigated the role of the traditional visual areas of the brain in tactile pattern recognition and shape discrimination in blind and sighted people. While the literature demonstrates some level of functional reorganization in the brains of blind individuals, many questions remain unresolved. In particular does tactile stimulation result in:
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2020
With content rapidly moving to the electronic space, access to graphics for individuals with visu... more With content rapidly moving to the electronic space, access to graphics for individuals with visual impairments is a growing concern. Recent research has demonstrated the potential for representing basic graphical content on touchscreens using vibrations and sounds, yet few guidelines or processes exist to guide the design of multimodal, touchscreen-based graphics. In this work, we seek to address this gap by synergizing our collective research efforts over the past eight years and implementing our findings into a compilation of recommendations, which we validate through an iterative design process and user study. We start by reviewing previous work and then collate findings into a set of design guidelines for generating basic elements of touchscreen-based multimodal graphics. We then use these guidelines to generate exemplary graphics in mathematics, specifically bar charts and geometry concepts. We discuss the iterative design process of moving from guidelines to actual graphics a...
Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 2021
Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) app on hea... more Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) app on heart failure for remote training of nursing students and compare it against recorded video lecture. We conducted a quasi-experimental study using pretest-posttest design with junior nursing students. Methods The experimental group used the self-paced app; the control group viewed the same content using pre-recorded video lecture. Results There were no significant differences in learning, although more students indicated that they preferred the AR app. Conclusion As a stand-alone teaching method, AR apps may perform as well as video lectures and may encourage student engagement.
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2020
This article first reviews the pros and cons of current accessible indoor navigation systems and ... more This article first reviews the pros and cons of current accessible indoor navigation systems and then describes a study using commercial smart devices to navigate routes through a complex building. Our interest was in comparing performance when using real-time narrative descriptions (system-aided condition) vs. a memory-based condition where the same narrative information was only provided to users from the route's origin. We tested two groups of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users, including people above and below 60 years of age, as well as a third sighted control group. Evaluating older BVI participants is important, as the majority of vision loss is age-related, yet navigation performance using access technology is rarely studied with this demographic. Behavioral results demonstrated that access to real-time (system-aided) information led to better navigation accuracy and greater confidence by blind users compared to the information-matched memory condition. Performance ...
ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 2020
Vibration plays a significant role in the way users interact with touchscreens. For many users, v... more Vibration plays a significant role in the way users interact with touchscreens. For many users, vibration affords tactile alerts and other enhancements. For eyes-free users and users with visual impairments, vibration can also serve a more primary role in the user interface, such as indicating streets on maps, conveying information about graphs, or even specifying basic graphics. However, vibration is rarely used in current user interfaces beyond basic cuing. Furthermore, designers and developers who do actually use vibration more extensively are often unable to determine the exact properties of the vibration signals they are implementing, due to out-of-the-box software and hardware limitations. We make two contributions in this work. First, we investigate the contextual properties of touchscreen vibrations and how vibrations can be used to effectively convey traditional, embossed elements, such as dashes and dots. To do so, we developed an open source, Android-based library to gene...
International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2020
This paper explores the viability of new touchscreen-based haptic/vibrotactile interactions as a ... more This paper explores the viability of new touchscreen-based haptic/vibrotactile interactions as a primary modality for perceiving visual graphical elements in eyes-free situations. For touchscreen-based haptic information extraction to be both accurate and meaningful, the onscreen graphical elements should be schematized and downsampled to: (1) maximize the perceptual specificity of touch-based sensing and (2) account for the technical characteristics of touchscreen interfaces. To this end, six human behavioral studies were conducted with 64 blind and 105 blindfolded-sighted participants. Experiments 1-3 evaluated three key rendering parameters that are necessary for supporting touchscreen-based vibrotactile perception of graphical information, with results providing empirical guidance on both minimally detectable and functionally discriminable line widths, inter-line spacing, and angular separation that should be maintained. Experiments 4-6 evaluated perceptually-motivated design guidelines governing visual-to-vibrotactile schematization required for tasks involving information extraction, learning, and cognition of multi-line paths (e.g., transit-maps and corridor-intersections), with results providing clear guidance as to the stimulus parameters maximizing accuracy and temporal performance. The six empirically-validated guidelines presented here, based on results from 169 participants, provide designers and content providers with much-needed guidance on effectively incorporating perceptuallysalient touchscreen-based haptic feedback as a primary interaction style for interfaces supporting nonvisual and eyes-free information access.
Optometry and Vision Science, 2018
Touchscreen-based, multimodal graphics represent an area of increasing research in digital access... more Touchscreen-based, multimodal graphics represent an area of increasing research in digital access for individuals with blindness or visual impairments; yet, little empirical research on the effects of screen size on graphical exploration exists. This work probes if and when more screen area is necessary in supporting a patternmatching task. PURPOSE: Larger touchscreens are thought to have distinct benefit over smaller touchscreens for the amount of space available to convey graphical information nonvisually. The current study investigates two questions: (1) Do screen size and grid density impact a user's accuracy on pattern-matching tasks? (2) Do screen size and grid density impact a user's time on task? METHODS: Fourteen blind and visually impaired individuals were given a pattern-matching task to complete on either a 10.5-in tablet or a 5.1-in phone. The patterns consisted of five vibrating targets imposed on sonified grids that varied in density (higher density = more grid squares). At test, participants compared the touchscreen pattern with a group of physical, embossed patterns and selected the matching pattern. Participants were evaluated on time exploring the pattern on the device and their pattern-matching accuracy. Multiple and logistic regressions were performed on the data. RESULTS: Device size, grid density, and age had no statistically significant effects on the model of patternmatching accuracy. However, device size, grid density, and age had significant effects on the model for grid exploration. Using the phone, exploring low-density grids, and being older were indicative of faster exploration time. CONCLUSIONS: A trade-off of time and accuracy exists between devices that seems to be task dependent. Users may find a tablet most useful in situations where the accuracy of graphic interpretation is important and is not limited by time. Smaller screen sizes afforded comparable accuracy performance to tablets and were faster to explore overall.
ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing
In this article, we introduce Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web app that allows anyone to q... more In this article, we introduce Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web app that allows anyone to quickly trace the floor plan of a building, generating a vectorized representation that can be automatically converted into a tactile map at the desired scale. The design of SIM is informed by a focus group with seven blind participants. Maps generated by SIM at two different scales have been tested by a user study with 10 participants, who were asked to perform a number of tasks designed to ascertain the spatial knowledge acquired through map exploration. These tasks included cross-map pointing and path finding, and determination of turn direction/walker orientation during imagined path traversal. By and large, participants were able to successfully complete the tasks, suggesting that these types of maps could be useful for pre-journey spatial learning.
Handbook of Behavioral and Cognitive Geography
This chapter considers what it means to learn and navigate the world with limited or no vision. I... more This chapter considers what it means to learn and navigate the world with limited or no vision. It investigates limitations of blindness research, discusses traditional theories of blind spatial abilities, and provides an alternative perspective of many of the oft-cited issues and challenges underlying spatial cognition of blind people. Several provocative assertions pertaining to visual impairment and spatial abilities are advanced that help to better understand navigation without vision, provide greater explanatory power relevant to many of the current debates, and offer some needed guidance on the development of new spatial learning strategies and technological solutions that will ultimately have a significant positive impact on the independence and quality of life of this demographic. An underlying and related theme of the chapter emphasizes the importance of 'space' in spatial cognition research, rather than vision as its principal mechanism. There is no debate that vision is an amazing conduit of spatial information, but it is also important to remember that it does not have a monopoly on space. Indeed, all of our senses encode spatial information to one degree or another, and as we will discuss, this commonality allows for equivalent performance on many of the same spatial behaviors, independent of whether they originate from visual or nonvisual perception.
Spatial Cognition & Computation, 2017
The present study investigated cognitive map development in multilevel built environments. Three ... more The present study investigated cognitive map development in multilevel built environments. Three experiments were conducted in complex virtual buildings to examine the effects of five between-floor structural factors that may impede the accuracy of humans' ability to build multilevel cognitive maps. Results from Experiments 1 and 2 (of three experiments) revealed that difficulties in developing multilevel cognitive maps are not solely caused by the z-axis offset, as is suggested in the literature, but are due to the factorial combination of a between-floor overlap and a z-axis offset. Results from Experiment 2 showed that this process becomes substantially more difficult when the reference directions between different floors have an angular offset from each other. Finally, results from Experiment 3 demonstrated that confusing between-floor heading shifts in aligned buildings did not make it reliably harder to build multilevel cognitive maps. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of theories of mental representations in multilayered three-dimensional spaces, as well as for architectural design.
Multimodal Technologies and Interaction
The ubiquity of multimodal smart devices affords new opportunities for eyes-free applications for... more The ubiquity of multimodal smart devices affords new opportunities for eyes-free applications for conveying graphical information to both sighted and visually impaired users. Using previously established haptic design guidelines for generic rendering of graphical content on touchscreen interfaces, the current study evaluates the learning and mental representation of digital maps, representing a key real-world translational eyes-free application. Two experiments involving 12 blind participants and 16 sighted participants compared cognitive map development and test performance on a range of spatio-behavioral tasks across three information-matched learning-mode conditions: (1) our prototype vibro-audio map (VAM), (2) traditional hardcopy-tactile maps, and (3) visual maps. Results demonstrated that when perceptual parameters of the stimuli were matched between modalities during haptic and visual map learning, test performance was highly similar (functionally equivalent) between the lear...
Blindfolded participants were guided along routes from two display modes: spatial language ("... more Blindfolded participants were guided along routes from two display modes: spatial language ("left," "right," or "straight") or spatialized audio (where the perceived sound location indicates the target direction). Half of the route guidance trials were run concurrently with a secondary vibrotactile N-back task. To assess cognitive map development, subjects performed a homing task from the route's terminus. As spatialized audio displays are processed perceptually, we hypothesized they would be less affected by increased cognitive load than language displays, which require cognitive mediation. In corroboration, results showed the secondary task had no effect on cognitive map performance for guidance by spatialized audio but led to significantly worse homing errors for guidance by spatial language. Spatialized audio was also reliably faster and more accurate than language for traversing the route. These results have important implications for the desig...
This paper describes the details and rationale for a dynamically-updated, context-sensitive verba... more This paper describes the details and rationale for a dynamically-updated, context-sensitive verbal interface, which has been developed to support learning and wayfinding of indoor environments. The purpose of this interface is to serve as a non-visual substitute for apprehending critical navigational information about the environment and facilitating efficient travel by blind navigators. The efficacy of this interface in supporting accurate environmental learning and wayfinding of real and virtual environments was demonstrated with blind and low-vision participants in two experiments. In both studies, participants were able to effectively use the verbal interface to freely explore novel environments and built up a cognitive map which supported subsequent wayfinding tasks. The results of these studies demonstrate that blind navigation is not solely based on route knowledge, as has been argued in the literature. The findings also help to guide future design specifications for speech-b...
This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in t... more This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturer's names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agency. This document does not constitute FAA policy. Consult the FAA sponsoring organization listed on the Technical Documentation page as to its use. This report is available at the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center's Full-Text Technical Reports page: actlibrary.tc.faa.gov in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (PDF).
Nothing to report. Actual or Anticipated problems or delays and actions or plans to resolve them ... more Nothing to report. Actual or Anticipated problems or delays and actions or plans to resolve them Nothing to report. Changes that have a significant impact on expenditures Nothing to report. Significant changes in use or care of human subjects Nothing to report.