title: Integration of visual and tactile modalities.
abstract: Experiments have been carried out in which subjects were required to discriminate time-varying visual and tactile stimuli presented simultaneously via a 2D array of light-emitting diodes and a vibrator on the fingertip. Contrary to expectations, no problems in parallel visual and tactile perception were apparent. Similar results were obtained in a second experiment in which subjects were require to lipread from a video image and simultaneously identify speech-derived tactile stimuli. The generally poor performance of tactile aids to lipreading has been attributed to problems of parallel perception, but such problems are clearly not present in all circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Physics, University of Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*