title: Action-contingent vibrotactile flow facilitates the detection of ground level obstacles with a partly virtual sensory substitution device.
abstract: This research considers a sensory substitution device that allows the exploration of the environment through normal walking, leaning and standing. The device includes an array of 24 coin motors placed vertically on the torso, with the intensity of vibration of each motor being a function of the distance to the first-encountered object. Thresholds were determined for the detection of ground-level obstacles (raised target platforms). On average, blindfolded participants were able to detect platforms with heights of 9 to 17 cm, but the thresholds differed for different experimental conditions. Experiment 1 showed that the detection threshold is lower for use with exploratory movements than for use without exploratory movements. Experiments 2 and 3 compared dynamic groups, who made exploratory movements and received vibrotactile flow contingent on their movements, with yoked groups, who received the same vibrotactile flow as the dynamic groups independently of their own movements. The detection thresholds were lower for the dynamic groups than for the yoked groups, meaning that the contingency of vibrotactile flow on exploratory movements is important beyond a higher-order vibrotactile flow by itself.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain. alex.diaz@uam.es
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barrientos
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Travieso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D004856:Postural Balance; D012682:Sensory Aids; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012931:Social Environment; D014110:Touch; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014732:Vibration; D014741:Video Recording; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult