Sensory Substitution, Key to Inclusive Learning

Visually impaired students, in primary education, encounter unique challenges while learning creative skills, exploring artistic expression and developing problem-solving skills, because so much instructional content is delivered visually. Sensory substitution—an approach that replaces visual information with feedback from other intact senses like touch, sound, taste or smell—provides an opportunity to address those challenges. Through the use of sensory substitution, this thesis proposes concrete ways to capitalize on the enhanced abilities of visually impaired primary school students. The research outcome of this thesis is a system of templates that puts these enhanced abilities to work for visually impaired students, to support them while they learn creative skills and practice problem-solving in a classroom setting. Each template contains a lesson that can be learned by using the process of paper quilling. The templates work equally well for sighted and visually impaired students, since all will be able to understand the lesson by using the sense of touch, as they learn by making

Modelling of surface identifying characteristics using Fourier series

Texture and small-scale surface details are widely recognised as playing an important role in the haptic identification of objects. In order to simulate realistic textures in haptic virtual environments, it has become increasingly necessary to identify a robust technique for modelling of surface profiles. This paper describes a method whereby Fourier series spectral analysis is employed in order to describe the measured surface profiles of several characteristic surfaces. The results presented suggest that a bandlimited Fourier series can be used to provide a realistic approximation to surface amplitude profiles

Digital sculpture : conceptually motivated sculptural models through the application of three-dimensional computer-aided design and additive fabrication technologies

Thesis (D. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 200

Hybrid Rugosity Mesostructures (HRMs) for fast and accurate rendering of fine haptic detail

The haptic rendering of surface mesostructure (fine relief features) in dense triangle meshes requires special structures, equipment, and high sampling rates for detailed perception of rugged models. Low cost approaches render haptic texture at the expense of fidelity of perception. We propose a faster method for surface haptic rendering using image-based Hybrid Rugosity Mesostructures (HRMs), paired maps with per-face heightfield displacements and normal maps, which are layered on top of a much decimated mesh, effectively adding greater surface detail than actually present in the geometry. The haptic probe’s force response algorithm is modulated using the blended HRM coat to render dense surface features at much lower costs. The proposed method solves typical problems at edge crossings, concave foldings and texture transitions. To prove the wellness of the approach, a usability testbed framework was built to measure and compare experimental results of haptic rendering approaches in a common set of specially devised meshes, HRMs, and performance tests. Trial results of user testing evaluations show the goodness of the proposed HRM technique, rendering accurate 3D surface detail at high sampling rates, deriving useful modeling and perception thresholds for this technique.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Sense3

Sense3, at its core, is a game in which the player has to collectively use the three senses of sight, touch and hearing to primarily dodge obstacles and collect audio samples, which are vertically remixed to form music. We chose EDM themed music, coupled with a futuristic outer space theme for the art style of the game, creating an immersive environment. The game is a pseudo-endless runner, where the player has to collect all the components to assemble their music. After each play through, the game allows the player to listen to the newly assembled music before reloading. We wanted to encourage replay value as each play through yields new and different music. The concept was decided upon after a series of prototyping sessions and iterations on a select few of them

Kitchenware Development: Strategizing blind user-designer experience design activities

Concept Development from research, the blind relies heavily on sensory references like touch to make a spatial judgment – the lack of such often results in accidents. Thus, the solutions physicalize tactile cues, which they can rely on for the next step in the cooking process. Existing solutions in the market are often function-focused, with little attention paid to usability. Product utility is foreign and unnatural to the blind as it contrasts with their prior memory of performing a task. Therefore, this research study is to strategize the Blind User-Designer experience through design activities. Keywords: Blind-User; Kitchenware, User Experience; Design Activities eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under the responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v7iSI7.378