Sighted subjects can accurately direct a light-beam source mounted on their head to the position of their hand on a vertical or horizontal scale by tipping their head in the up-down dimension. A blind person might be trained to utilize head-tip cues for location or objects in space. If he scanned his environment vertically (by tipping his head) with a horizontal linear array of photosensitive elements, presence of an object at a given position and elevation could be signalled to him by a small light attached to the object.
References
1.
Bach y RitaP.Brain mechanisms in sensory substitution. New York: Academic Press, 1972.
2.
FishR. M.An audio display for the blind. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 1976, BME-23, 144–154.
3.
KayL.A sonar aid to enhance spatial perception of the blind: Engineering design and evaluation. The Radio and Electronic Engineer, 1974, 4, 605–627.
4.
RofflerS. K.ButlerR. A.Localization of tonal stimuli in the vertical plane. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1968, 43, 1260–1266.
5.
ThurlowW. R.Localization aftereffects with pulse-tone and pulse-pulse stimuli. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 1965, 37, 837–842.
6.
WarrenD. H.Perception by the blind. In CarteretteE. C.FriedmanM. P. (Eds.), Handbook of perception. Vol. 10. New York: Academic Press, 1978. Pp. 65–90.