Abstract
Following the Cuckoo Sound is a responsive floor application designed to train blind children to walk along a straight path through the use of interactive audio. The system, based on computer vision algorithms, is able to estimate the cartesian coordinates of a user as soon as s/he enters the active area. To provide children with an efficient and playful tool which can help them in the task of walking straight, we designed an interactive audio environment based on a cuckoo sound which is altered if the child veers from a central hallway. To obtain preliminary information about the potential of the application, we organized a pilot study involving 6 blind children. Results show an improvement in the stability of the direction in 5 subjects out of 6. Moreover, the great interest among the children for interactive audio suggests that this is a promising investigation field to help wayfinding and orientation.
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A video showing Following the Cuckoo Sound while being tested at the Robert Hollman Institute (Padova, Italy) can be found at https://youtu.be/yUkPcD1M-OQ. The white tags visible on the carpet in the video were used only to notify the hallway limits and the START and END positions for clarity of the video viewers. They were removed in the experimental sessions, to avoid that their presence was felt to the touch by the children.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dr. Vittorina Schoch, Clinical Director and Dr. Maria Eleonora Reffo Administrative Director of the Padua Center of the Robert Hollman Foundation for their cooperation in the organization of the pilot study of the Following the Cuckoo Sound application.
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© 2018 ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
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Mandanici, M., Rodà, A., Canazza, S., Cavagnoli, G. (2018). Following the Cuckoo Sound: A Responsive Floor to Train Blind Children to Avoid Veering. In: Guidi, B., Ricci, L., Calafate, C., Gaggi, O., Marquez-Barja, J. (eds) Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good. GOODTECHS 2017. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 233. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76111-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76111-4_2
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