Virtual Haptic Perception as an Educational Assistive Technology: A Case Study in Inclusive Education

The traditional educational process of blind people is a complex practice that relies on the haptic perception (tactile perception) of physical models. However, physical models may be costly, inaccessible or may require a large storage space. To overcome these difficulties, in this article a virtual haptic perception approach to support the teaching and learning process of blind people is proposed. The proposed approach combines the use of virtual reality and haptic technologies. The research aim is to objectively evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of using virtual haptic perception in the education of blind children. For this purpose, an experimental methodology was defined and used to teach maths, in particular fundamental three-dimensional (3D) shapes, to blind children. The results are analysed in terms of the participants' ability to explore and recognize virtual objects, and the knowledge gain after the virtual perception learning period. From this analysis it is concluded that haptic virtual perception is a valid and effective assistive technology for the education of blind children.