Researchers Develop a "Cane Controller" to Bring Virtual Reality to Blind, Low-Vision Users
Using a series of brakes, a custom cane controller can impart information about a virtual world — no visuals required.
Researchers from Microsoft Research, Stanford University, and the Hasso Plattner Institute have published a paper on a virtual reality that doesn't rely on vision — using instead a "white cane controller" for vision-free navigation on virtual environments.
Virtual reality is becoming increasingly popular, from enterprise use for training to commercial entertainment systems and even low-cost homebrew devices. They all have one thing in common, however: They rely primarily on vision, leaving a broad swathe of the populace shut out.
"Current virtual reality (VR) technologies focus on rendering visuospatial effects, and thus are inaccessible for blind or low vision users," the team explains of its research into the problem. "We examine the use of a novel white cane controller that enables navigation without vision of large virtual environments with complex architecture, such as winding paths and occluding walls and doors."
It's the controller that allows the user, already used to using a white cane in the non-virtual world, to navigate an entirely virtual environment without vision. "The cane controller employs a lightweight three-axis brake mechanism to provide large-scale shape of virtual objects," the team explains.
"The multiple degrees-of-freedom enables users to adapt the controller to their preferred techniques and grip. In addition, surface textures are rendered with a voice coil actuator based on contact vibrations; and spatialised audio is determined based on the progression of sound through the geometry around the user."
To prove the concept, the researchers developed a "scavenger hunt" game based on a 6x6m (around 20x20') room. "Seven out of eight users were able to successfully navigate the virtual room to locate targets while avoiding collisions," the researchers say.
The team's paper has been published as part of the ACM's CHI 2020, and is available under open access terms on the Microsoft Research website.