Visually impaired individuals rely on sensory cues during navigation. Echoes from potential obstacles and other aspects of the environment communicate auditory signals to give a perspective of the surroundings. The education and entertainment industries have utilized games with visually impaired learners as a means to reinforce content and to learn new skills for finding their way in the physical world (Connors, Yazzolino, Sánchez, & Merabet, 2013; Lange, Koenig, Chang, McConnell, Suma, Bolas, & Rizzo, 2012; Merabet, Conners, Haiko, & Sanchez, 2012; Spence, & Feng, 2010). Game-based verbal cues activated spatial mental imagery and virtual verbal displays to complete tasks. Mental images were transformed into patterns to guide motion of either the full body in a physical space or controller-actions to manage movement within the game. In one study to examine the use of a cues in a game, increased mobility was observed in the physical space that was represented by the virtual space in the game (Conners et al., 2013).
In addition to verbal cues within the game, developers have implemented the translation of visual information into tactile input. The programming relies on three elements (a) a sensor to capture the specific form of energy, (b) a transformation algorithm to transcode the captured information into auditory or tactile patterns, and (c) a stimulator to transfer the captured information in its new form to the user (Elli, Benetti, & Collignon, 2014). Techniques have included perceptual supplementation (Lenay, Gapenne, Hanneton, Marque, & Genouëlle, 2003) and sensorimotor extension (Aurvay & Myin, 2008) in a cross-modal approach by artificially providing information to another sense, such as hearing, touch, smell, or temperature sensing. Virtual sensory substitution devices do not have to be expensive. Tools such as EyeMusic SSD resulted in success navigating the complex world of walking down a street or moving about the inside of virtual houses, around trees, and across crosswalks (Maidenbaum, Buchs, Abboud, Lavi-Rotbain, & Amedi, 2016).
Drawing upon the individual characteristics of creativity, such as cognitive abilities and style, intrinsic motivation, and knowledge (Woodman, Sawyer, & Griffin, 1993), and the individual’s innovation framework, that is their level of confidence and dominance, growth need strength, internal work motivation, creativity and innovativeness, previous success of innovation, and task specific skills (West & Farr, 1989), game designers can incorporate sensory substitution devices within the programming to facilitate the individual’s success within the experience. Instructional and game designers can apply new technological tools into game design in a manner that is adaptable and personalized to help those with visual impairments operate within the complex organization of the workplace and navigate the physical world.
This presentation will highlight game design decisions related to individual characteristics of creativity and innovation, sensory substitution devices, outcomes of research with sensory substitution devices, and perceptions of a visually impaired user’s experience in a virtual reality game. The research study conducted for this presentation includes an extensive literature review of sensory substitution devices in games for visually impaired users, examination of these games through the lens of individual characteristics within creativity and innovation theories, and the observation of and interview with a visually impaired user of a virtual reality game.
Keywords: game design, visual impairment, sensory substitution devices, individual characteristics, creativity and innovation theories
References will be provided with the presentation.
Topics: Gamification , Topics: Digital Technologies in Disciplinary Contexts
