3D Shape Understanding for the Visually Impaired by using Virtual Haptic Senses based on Fuzzy Logic

This research aims to provide information accessibility support for visually impaired individuals perform actions and behaviors that recognize objects by themselves or reflect their understanding of the situation in the environment. For that reason, we will develop an object recognition method to them that improves the shape understanding of target object to be recognized by touching virtual haptic senses created from the pseudo object in a computer that mimics an object in the environment. In general, the shape information of objects is difficult to verbalize. Even if its information is transformed to spoken words, it is hard to understand the shape of an object with a one-dimensional transmission through hearing. Therefore, it is necessary to expand context awareness into two- or three-dimensions while collaborating with visually impaired individuals who rely on haptic sensation. In this report, for pseudo objects created by combining 2D and 3D basic shapes in a computer, we consider the process of shape understanding and object recognition under visual impairment based on virtual haptic senses. Presentation of these pseudo objects to visually impaired individuals is provided so that they can understand by touching a two-dimensional figure with a tactile display and by feeling a three-dimensional shape with a force feedback device.