Bioinspired Cane Interface for Orientation and Mobility in Virtual Reality Using Haptic and Auditory Feedback

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Bioinspired Engineering

Background:

• Developing assistive technologies for individuals with visual impairments is crucial.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive environments for designing and testing novel solutions.
• Bioinspired sensing frameworks can enhance the functionality of assistive devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and evaluate an early-stage VR prototype integrating a virtual cane, haptic feedback, 3D audio, and bioinspired sensing.
• To gather formative perception-based feedback from sighted participants on the prototype's usability and features.
• To establish a foundation for future controlled evaluations with objective performance measures.

Main Methods:

• The prototype was developed using Unity 2022.3 with the XR Interaction Toolkit and URP, following Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM).
• A bat-whisker-contact framework guided the integration of auditory, haptic, and contact feedback mechanisms.
• A post-use questionnaire assessed 25 sighted participants' perceptions of clarity, signal interpretability, and comfort.

Main Results:

• Participants reported favorable perceived clarity and multimodal usefulness of the VR prototype.
• Feedback indicated specific areas for refinement, including virtual cane length and obstacle differentiation.
• In a simulated no-vision condition, participants showed high reliance on the virtual cane, though initial confidence varied.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel early-stage VR assistive technology artifact.
• Formative evaluation provides a basis for refining the prototype for future user studies.
• Further research should incorporate objective navigation metrics and assess performance with visually impaired users.