Wearable computers as a virtual environment interface for people with visual impairment

People who are totally blind or who have vevere visual impairments (e.g. less than 20/200 acuity, central macular scotomas, or advanced diabetic retinopathy) see the environment in a fashion that may be completely foreign to those who operate in a very visual fashion. For this population, the visual complexity of the environment is not a concern. What is of concern are salient features found within the environment that relate to their ability to navigate successfully in, and/or interact with, the environment as needed. Toward the purpose of representing these salient features in comprehensive form, investigators at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Research and Development Center are employing wearable computer technology to develop a virtual environment interface. The long-range goal is to create a simplistic virtual representation of the environment that includes only features related to the current navigational task and/or interactive needs of the person. In a completed study, the use of digital infrared transmitters as beacons representing salient features of the environment was explored. The purpose of a current study now in progress is to evaluate and compare various user interface structures that were suggested by subjects during the preliminary study. The problem of interest in the current study is street-crossing; however, the results of this research should be applicable to many other problems, including identifying and locating building entrances, and identifying, locating and interacting with electronic devices such as information kiosks, automated teller machines, and self-serve point-of-sale terminals. The long-range result desired is a wearable computer with which one can easily identify and interact with a wide variety of devices in the environment via one familiar, easy-to-use interface.