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Maps as Ability Amplifiers: Using Graphical Tactile Displays to Enhance Spatial Skills in People Who Are Visually Impaired

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Haptic Interfaces for Accessibility, Health, and Enhanced Quality of Life

Abstract

This chapter reviews several findings that provide strong evidence for the effectiveness of pin-array tactile displays in enhancing spatial skills in people who are visually impaired in educational and rehabilitative contexts. Two main scenarios of use of these displays will be described: geometry and spatial memory training, and orientation and mobility training. The advantages of using pin-array tactile displays over standard rehabilitative methods in terms of increased flexibility and versatility will be discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Silvia Dini, Tania Violin, Claudia Vigini, Marisa Lococciolo, Anna Gettani, Elisabetta Capris and Claudio Cassinelli of the Istituto Chiossone for their organizational, logistic and testing support in Genoa and for their organizational activity in Bologna and Milan. We thank Damiano Storelli, Giovanni Cellucci and Fernando Torrente of the Istituto Cavazza in Bologna for the logistic and testing support in Bologna. We thank Laura Muro and Franco Lisi of the Istituto dei Ciechi in Milan for the logistic and testing support in Milan. For the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, we thank Alberto Inuggi for his technical support, Angelo Raspagliesi and Sara Nataletti for their help in testing in Genoa, Giulio Sandini for his strategy and financial support. Finally, we wish to thank all the participants and their families.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy

    Fabrizio Leo, Elisabetta Ferrari & Luca Brayda

  2. Istituto David Chiossone, Genoa, Italy

    Elena Cocchi

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  1. Fabrizio Leo
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  2. Elena Cocchi
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  3. Elisabetta Ferrari
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  4. Luca Brayda
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Correspondence to Fabrizio Leo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Polytechnic School, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ, USA

    Troy McDaniel

  2. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Sethuraman Panchanathan

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Leo, F., Cocchi, E., Ferrari, E., Brayda, L. (2020). Maps as Ability Amplifiers: Using Graphical Tactile Displays to Enhance Spatial Skills in People Who Are Visually Impaired. In: McDaniel, T., Panchanathan, S. (eds) Haptic Interfaces for Accessibility, Health, and Enhanced Quality of Life. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34230-2_3

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