Preliminary investigation of SEZUAL device for basic material identification and simple spatial navigation for blind and visually impaired people

PURPOSE: we present a preliminary set of experimental studies that demonstrates device-aided echolocation enabling in blind and visually impaired individuals. The proposed device emits a click-like sound into the surrounding space and returning sound is perceived by participants to infer the surrounding environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: two sets of experiments were set up to evaluate the echolocation abilities of nine blind participants. The first setup was designed to identify four material types based on the sound reflection properties of materials, such as glass, metal, wood, and ceramics. The second setup was navigation through a basic maze with the device. RESULTS: experimental data demonstrate that the use of the proposed device enables active echolocation abilities in blind participants, particularly for material identification and spatial mobility. CONCLUSION: the proposed device can potentially be used to rehabilitate disabled blind and visually impaired individuals in terms of spatial mobility and orientation.