A wearable navigation aid for blind people using a vibrotactile information transfer system

In the present paper we describe different possibilities of vibrotactile stimulation of skin receptors for guiding visually impaired people. Different wearable low-budget prototypes were developed by integrating vibration motors as used in mobile phones. Various parameters for vibrotactile stimulation of skin receptors were evaluated. In addition a simple computer game was developed to simulate an environment with obstacles and to obtain the real-time reaction performance of test subjects. The prototypes were tested in a trial with obstacles in which blindfolded test persons were guided via a vibrating system controlled by a second test person. The prototypes were proven to be easy to use while no special training was required.