Multisensory Virtual Environment 1 Blind Persons’ Exploration of Unknown Spaces Using a Multisensory Virtual Environment (mve)

Exploration of unknown spaces is essential for the development of efficient orientation and mobility skills. Most of the information required for the exploration is gathered through the visual channel. Blind people lack this crucial information, facing in consequence difficulties in mapping as well as navigating spaces. The study reported here is based on the assumption that the supply of appropriate spatial information through compensatory sensorial channels, may contribute to blind people’s spatial performance. The main goals of this study were: (a) the development of a haptic virtual environment enabling blind people to explore spaces and (b) the study of blind people's exploration of these spaces. Participants were 31 blind persons: 21 in the experimental group exploring a new space using a Multisensory Virtual Environment, and 10 in the control group exploring directly the real new space. The results of the study show that the subjects in the experimental group were able to master the navigation of the unknown virtual space in a short time. Significant differences were found concerning the use of exploration strategies, methods, and processes by the subjects working with the Multisensory Virtual Environment, in comparison with the subjects working in the real space. MULTISENSORY VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT 3