Quantifying the impact on navigation performance in visually impaired: Auditory information loss versus information gain enabled through electronic travel aids.

ABSTRACT: This study's purpose was to analyze and quantify the impact of auditory information loss versus information gain provided by electronic travel aids (ETAs) on navigation performance in people with low vision. Navigation performance of ten subjects (age: 54.9±11.2 years) with visual acuities >1.0 LogMAR was assessed via the Graz Mobility Test (GMT). Subjects passed through a maze in three different modalities: 'Normal' with visual and auditory information available, 'Auditory Information Loss' with artificially reduced hearing (leaving only visual information), and 'ETA' with a vibrating ETA based on ultrasonic waves, thereby facilitating visual, auditory, and tactile information. Main performance measures comprised passage time and number of contacts. Additionally, head tracking was used to

SUBMITTER: Kreilinger A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5919575 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature