Roy, R. – VEMI Lab /vemi University of Maine Wed, 29 Mar 2017 15:09:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 Spatial learning and navigation using a virtual verbal display /vemi/publication/spatial-learning-navigation-using-virtual-verbal-display/ Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:00:30 +0000 /vemi/?post_type=publication&p=1091 Abstract: We report on three experiments that investigate the efficacy of a new type of interface called a virtual verbal display (VVD) for nonvisual learning and navigation of virtual environments (VEs). Although verbal information has been studied for routeguidance, little is known about the use of context-sensitive, speech-based displays (e.g., the VVD) for supporting free exploration and wayfinding behavior. During training, participants used the VVD (Experiments I and II) or a visual display (Experiment III) to search the VEs and find four hidden target locations. At test, all participants performed a route-finding task in the corresponding real environment, navigating with vision (Experiments I and III) or from verbal descriptions (Experiment II). Training performance between virtual display modes was comparable, but wayfinding in the real environment was worse after VVD learning than visual learning, regardless of the testing modality. Our results support the efficacy of the VVD for searching computer-based environments but indicate a difference in the cognitive maps built up between verbal and visual learning, perhaps due to lack of physical movement in the VVD.

Citation: Giudice, N.A., Bakdash, J.Z., Legge, G.E., & Roy, R. (2010). Spatial learning and navigation using a virtual verbal display. ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 7(1), 3:1-3:22 (Article 3).

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]]> Digital Sign System for Indoor Wayfinding for the Visually Impaired /vemi/publication/digital-sign-system-indoor-wayfinding-visually-impaired-2/ Fri, 01 Jul 2005 18:09:11 +0000 /vemi/?post_type=publication&p=1276 Abstract:

Mobility challenges and independent travel are major concerns for blind and visually impaired pedestrians [1][2]. Navigation and wayfinding in unfamiliar indoor environments are particularly challenging because blind pedestrians do not have ready access to building maps, signs and other orienting devices. The development of assistive technologies to aid wayfinding is hampered by the lack of a reliable and cost-efficient method for providing location information in an indoor environment. Here we describe the design and implementation of a digital sign system based on low-cost passive retro-reflective tags printed with specially designed patterns that can be readily detected and identified by a hand-held camera and machine-vision system. Performance of the prototype showed the tag detection/recognition system could cope with the real-world environment of a typical building.

Citation:

Tjan, B.S., Beckmann, P.J., Roy, R., Giudice, N.A., & Legge, G.E. (2005). Digital sign system for indoor wayfinding for the visually impaired. Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE Computer Society Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR) – Workshops. 3, 30A. San Diego, CA.

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