Development of Frame for SPIDAR Tablet on Windows and Evaluation of System-Presented Geographical Information

When viewing a map, we understand the terrain by the symbols marking the buildings, roads, and landmarks. However, these pieces of information are in planar form. The original road has a slope and is irregular in shape. In the event of disaster, the ways in which people can safely evacuate must be carefully considered, so terrain characteristics must be well understood. In this study, we use not only visual information but also information from other senses. To present information for the other senses, we used a force-sense presentation device designed for tablet PCs, known as the SPIDAR tablet. We developed an application that can display maps on the tablet screen and present sensory information regarding the slope when the user traces the road on the map with a finger. Then, we evaluated the amount of road information that can be understood and which sensory presentation was most effective. The subjects of the evaluation were adults and children who completed a questionnaire regarding their degree of comprehension. The children participants were third graders at the Aijitsu elementary school. The results of the questionnaire reveal noticeable differences in the comprehension of adults and children with respect to sensory information presented. Based on this result, we plan to present more helpful information in future work. Moreover, we identified the need to thoroughly consider the modality of the sensory information presented.