Reading virtual maps with a haptic mouse: Effects of some modifications of the tactile and audio-tactile information

Abstract

An earlier experiment demonstrated both possibilities and problems with reading a virtual map with a haptic mouse, the VTPlayerTM, the task being to locate states on a US map. The result was that addition of tactile matrix information had no effect on performance. The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the possibilities of improving the usefulness of the device by introducing two software modifications, one concerning texture within the states, another concerning temporal relations between tactile and auditory information when a state is entered. It was found that the former modification had a significant positive effect, but not the latter. The conclusion is that a haptic mouse may be a useful aid for non-visual reading of virtual maps, but that the software has to be optimized for touch. The general problem of how to use a computer mouse efficiently without visual feedback has also to be solved.

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