Development of Navigation and Mobility Skills for People with Visual Impairment: Interaction with 3d Tactile Pavings Textures

Blindness and low vision are increasing serious public health issues that affect a significant percentage of the population worldwide. Vision plays a crucial role in spatial navigation and daily activities. Its reduction or loss creates numerous challenges for an individual. Assistive technology can enhance mobility and navigation in outdoor environments. In the field of orientation and mobility training, technologies with haptic interaction can assist individuals with visual impairments in learning how to navigate safely and effectively using the sense of touch. This paper introduces a virtual reality platform as a groundbreaking tool for developing navigation techniques within a safe yet realistic environment. Following extensive optimization, we present a visual representation that accurately simulates various 3D tile textures using graphics replicating real tactile surfaces. We conducted a user interaction study in a virtual environment consisting of 3D navigation tiles enhanced with tactile textures, placed appropriately for a real-world scenario, to assess user performance and experience. The study also assess the usability and User Experience of the platform. The findings contribute to developing of novel navigation techniques for individuals with visual impairments.