An oral tactile interface for blind navigation

Abstract

An oral tactile interface was designed and evaluated to provide directional cues through the tactile channel, which may be utilized by a blind traveler to obtain directional guidance in outdoor navigation. The device was implemented as a mouthpiece with a microfabricated electrotactile display on top for tactile presentation onto the roof of the mouth and a tongue touch keypad at the bottom for simultaneous operation by the tongue. An experimental system allowed a user to communicate with a computer tactilely by using the oral interface. Directional cues were presented to the user as line or arrow patterns with four moving directions (leftward, rightward, forward, and backward). Electrotactile presentation on the roof of the mouth was evaluated in experiments of threshold measurement and identification of directional cues. Experimental results from six human subjects showed that the roof of the mouth required stimulation intensities around 15 V for threshold sensation, and around 25-30 V for comfortable and well-perceived stimulation. Furthermore, identification of leftward or rightward movements was highly accurate while performance on forward or backward moving patterns was mixed and varied considerably among subjects.