title: Horseback riding therapy for a deafblind individual enabled by a haptic interface.
abstract: We present a haptic interface to help deafblind people to practice horseback riding as a recreational and therapeutic activity. Horseback riding is a form of therapy which can improve self-esteem and sensation of independence. It has been shown to benefit people with various medical conditions-including autism. However, in the case of deafblind riders, an interpreter must stand by at all times to communicate with the rider by touch. We developed a simple interface that enables deafblind people to enjoy horseback riding while the instructor is remotely providing cues, which improves their independence. Experiments demonstrated that an autistic deafblind individual exhibits similar responses to navigational cues as an unimpaired rider. Motivation is an important factor in therapy, and is frequently determinant of its outcome; therefore, the user attitude toward the therapy methods is key. The answers to questionnaires filled by the rider, family, and the instructor show that our technique gives the rider a greater sense of independence and more joy compared to standard riding where the instructor is walking along with the horse.
authors.affiliation: b Shadow Robot Company LTD , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matjaž
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogrinc
authors.affiliation: a Department of Bioengineering , Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine , London , United Kingdom.|c School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science , Queen Mary University of London , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ildar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Farkhatdinov
authors.affiliation: b Shadow Robot Company LTD , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rich
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: a Department of Bioengineering , Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burdet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D054062:Deaf-Blind Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D056147:Equine-Assisted Therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D000068997:Smartphone; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autism; deafblind; navigation; vibrotactile