Haptics-based, higher-order sensory substitution designed for object negotiation in blindness and low vision: Virtual Whiskers

Purpose: People with blindness and low vision (pBLV) face challenges in navigating. Mobility aids are crucial for enhancing independence and safety. This paper presents an electronic travel aid that leverages a haptic-based, higher-order sensory substitution approach called Virtual Whiskers, designed to help pBLV navigate obstacles effectively, efficiently, and safely. Materials and Methods: Virtual Whiskers is equipped with a plurality of modular vibration units that operate independently to deliver haptic feedback to users. Virtual Whiskers features two navigation modes: open path mode and depth mode, each addressing obstacle negotiation from different perspectives. The open path mode detects and delineates a traversable area within an analyzed field of view and then guides the user in the most traversable direction with adaptive vibratory feedback. Depth mode assists users in negotiating obstacles by highlighting spatial areas with prominent obstacles; haptic feedback is generated by re-mapping proximity to vibration intensity. We recruited 10 participants with blindness or low vision for user testing of Virtual Whiskers. Results: Both approaches reduce hesitation time (idle periods) and decrease the number of cane contacts with objects and walls. Conclusions: Virtual Whiskers is a promising obstacle negotiation strategy that demonstrates great potential to assist with pBLV navigation.