title: Resolving subjects and measuring observer/subject distances with a thermal tactile imager.
abstract: Visually-impaired people have difficulty detecting objects beyond the reach of a cane. We functionally coupled a far-infrared camera to a linear array of tactile elements to create a thermal tactile viewer that enhances environmental awareness. Users may scan such a device across a scene to spatially locate people. We observed in a series of acuity-measuring tasks, at twenty feet of observer/subject separation, observers could resolve two people standing four inches apart (a separation angle of 1 degrees ) and locate the angular position of people within a room with 78% accuracy. Additionally, when employing a technique involving two sweeps from two observation points separated by approximately an arm span, subjects correctly reported observer/subject separation distance with 60% accuracy. These observations suggest the technique of information transfer provided by a thermal tactile viewing device provides the fundamental acuity required for an assistive locating device.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. doxx0046@umn.edu
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Timothy H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Riehle
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solinsky
authors.forename: Pouyan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Assadi-Lamouki
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Hillesheim
authors.forename: An N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.forename: Troy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Velie
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Seifert
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D015588:Observer Variation; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011601:Psychophysics / Q000379:methods; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012984:Software; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration