Mediated and non-mediated tactile fingerspelling: a comparative study

Area of Science:

• Assistive Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Sensory Substitution

Background:

• Effective communication is crucial for individuals who are Deafblind.
• Bridging the gap between human-generated and technology-mediated tactile communication presents significant challenges.
• Existing tactile communication devices require optimization for user comprehension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the intelligibility of the Australian Deafblind tactile fingerspelling alphabet delivered via the HaptiComm device versus human articulation.
• To identify specific tactile features or locations on the HaptiComm device that impact letter recognition.
• To inform the design of more effective tactile communication technologies for the Deafblind community.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent a brief training period to learn the tactile alphabet.
• Letter identification accuracy was assessed for both the device-mediated and human-signed conditions.
• Recognition rates were analyzed across all 26 English alphabet letters and their rendered positions.

Main Results:

• Most letters were easily identified when presented by a human signer.
• The HaptiComm device resulted in significantly lower intelligibility compared to human signing.
• Letters displayed on the palm or near the index finger showed particularly poor recognition rates.

Conclusions:

• Current tactile communication device designs, like the HaptiComm, need refinement to improve intelligibility.
• Further research into optimizing tactile feedback and spatial representation is essential for reliable mediated tactile communication.
• Enhancing device features is critical for seamless technology-mediated communication for individuals who are Deafblind.