Conference Paper

Mobile location-based games to support orientation & mobility training for visually impaired students

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Abstract

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training is an important aspect in the education of visually impaired students. In this work we present a scavenger hunt-like location-based game to support O&M training. In two comparative studies with blind and partially sighted students and interviews with teachers we investigate if a mobile game played in the real world is a suitable approach to support O&M training and if a mobile location-based O&M training game is preferred over a game played in a virtual world. Our results show that a mobile location-based game is a fruitful approach to support O&M training for visually impaired students, and that a mobile location based game is preferred over playing in a virtual world. Based on the gathered insights we discuss implications for using mobile location-based games in O&M training.

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... One such example is the work by [30,31]. They focused on using smartphones, which are widely accessible to learners with visual impairments. ...
... Difficulties also arise in perceiving angles and intersections in graphs and navigating virtual environments due to the absence of auditory cues [69]. Furthermore, there are challenges related to O&M education, such as finding the optimal walking simulation pose [42] and a potential bias toward partially sighted students due to visual elements [31]. Environmental limitations also play a role, including interference from light sources and difficulties in detecting and navigating complex environments [18]. ...
... Environmental limitations also play a role, including interference from light sources and difficulties in detecting and navigating complex environments [18]. In addition, GPS limitations are present, such as indoor usability and accuracy issues with GPS tracking [31]. It should be noted that XR environments cannot replace basic O&M training or completely replace real-environment O&M training [31]. ...
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Education for those who are visually impaired usually relies on modified materials and unique teaching methods. Nonetheless, the advent of Extended Reality marks a considerable change by providing immersive and interactive experiences that can surpass the challenges encountered in conventional learning due to visual impairments. This study aims to systematically review and analyse the existing literature on the use of extended realities in the education of individuals with visual impairment. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement as a formal systematic review guideline for data collection to ensure the quality and replicability of the revision process. Data were obtained from research studies over the period 2013-2023. The analysis included a total of 71 papers from Science Direct, ERIC, JSTOR, Taylor & Francis Online, and Scopus databases. The results show that Europe had the most publications on these topics during the past decade and that most papers were focused on higher education. Additionally, virtual reality was the most investigated topic. The findings indicate that extended reality has the potential to promote inclusion for the visually impaired in educational settings and provide them with enhanced educational experiences in many educational disciplines.
... Frequently, these solutions simulate real-world indoor spaces (e.g., buildings, schools) and use three-dimensional audio to guide user interaction and navigation [85], mostly targeting the improvement of their real-life navigation skills [1]. The use of auditory cues, sonar techniques, and 3D audio combined to haptic feedback devices (e.g., joysticks, enhanced canes) improves user interaction, helping to foster technology acceptance and affecting its cognitive impact [6,113]. ...
... These interaction techniques and interface features allow people who are blind to explore virtual worlds, recognizing walls, rooms, obstacles, and objects [111]. Many of O&M indoor virtual environments also incorporate game-based features, with the purpose of increasing users' motivation and immersion, and, therefore, instigating the learning of O&M skills [61,85]. ...
... This function will enable users to tailor the O&M environment to their needs. For example, the system can provide control of the volume or changes in navigation functions [58,70,85,93,104]. ...
Article
BACKGROUND: Knowing their current position in the surroundings constitutes one of the biggest challenges faced by people with visual disabilities when they move around. For them, it is difficult to be aware of the direction in which they are going, and the location of nearby objects and obstacles. In this context, obtaining relevant spatial information is always very significant to these individuals. Hence, the research in the development of assistive technologies for needs and perspectives of people who are blind has been a promising area in terms of the orientation and mobility (O&M) challenges. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to systematically examine the literature on O&M virtual environments designed to support indoor navigation to identify techniques for both developing and evaluating the usability and cognitive impact of these applications. METHODS: A systematic literature review (SLR) was performed, considering population, intervention, outcomes, and study design as eligibility criteria. After a filtering process from 987 works retrieved from six databases, we extracted data from 51 papers, which meet the study selection criteria. RESULTS: The analysis of the 51 papers describing 31 O8M indoor virtual environments, indicated that O&M virtual environments to support indoor navigation are usually designed for desktop, adopt spatial audio as way to support orientation, and use joystick as primary interaction device. Regarding evaluation techniques, questionnaires, interviews, user observation, and performance logs are commonly used to evaluate usability in this context. In tests involving users, the participants are usually adults aged 21–59 years, who individually spend about 90 minutes split in usually two evaluation sessions. Most papers do not report any strategies to evaluate the cognitive impact of O&M virtual environments on users’ navigational and wayfinding skills. Thirteen papers (25.49%) reported the conduction of experiments or quasi-experiments and demonstrated pieces of evidence associated with a positive cognitive impact resultant from O8M indoor virtual environments usage. Finally, only four papers (7.84%) reported the development of indoor maps editors for O&M virtual environments. CONCLUSION: Our SLR summarizes the characteristics of 32 O&M virtual environments. It compiles state-of-the-art for indoor simulations in this domain and highlights their challenges and impacts in O&M training. Also, the absence of clear guidelines to design and evaluate O&M virtual environments and the few available computer editors of indoor maps appear as research opportunities.
... In the other game, the task was to draw the figure of a house, created by physical movement of the player and scanned by GPS technology, in one stroke. Using LBG to support orientation and mobility training for visually impaired students was investigated in [15]. They implemented a prototype for a scavenger hunt-like mobile game. ...
... [14] 2013 Introduce students to underlying concepts of informatics. [15] 2018 Support orientation and mobility training for visually impaired students. [16] 2012 Support outdoor learning activities about history and geography as part of the curriculum for elementary schools. ...
Article
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With the universal use of mobile computing devices, there has been a notable increase in the number of mobile applications developed for educational purposes. Gamification strategies offer a new set of tools to educators and, combined with the location services provided by those devices, allow the creation of innovative location-based mobile learning experiences. In this literature review, we conduct an analysis of educational mobile location-based games. The review includes articles published from January of 2010 to October of 2020, and from 127 records screened, 26 articles were analysed in full-text form. This analysis allowed us to answer the following six predefined research questions: Who are the target audiences for location-based games? In which subjects are location-based games most used? Which strategies are implemented with mobile devices to improve the student’s learning process? What are the main impacts of location-based games on students’ learning? What are the main challenges to the development of location-based games for education? What future tendencies and research opportunities can be identified from the analysis of the current state of the art?
... To prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading, which has led to restrictions on in-person meetings and events on university campuses [39], universities have implemented strict policies requiring masks and enforcing social distancing in all public spaces. In response to these challenges, some universities are incorporating location-based games into their orientation activities [52,53]. These games provide an interactive and engaging way for new students to learn about campus resources and facilities while maintaining physical distance. ...
Article
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The study focuses on the development and evaluation of a location-based game called CMU Journey, which is aimed at helping first-year students become acquainted with their new university setting during the phase of transition. The study’s three primary goals are to: (1) create a location-based game to improve knowledge acquisition related to university transition for freshmen; (2) evaluate the performance of the developed location-based game in supporting knowledge acquisition relevant to university transition; and (3) explore students’ experiences and perspectives with the location-based game designed for university transition. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study collects quantitative data through pre-post measures as well as qualitative data synthesis using an online open-ended questionnaire. Participants in the study are from Chiang Mai University’s Humanities and Social Sciences (N = 434), Technology and Science (N = 341), and Medical and Health (N = 256) programs. The findings show that students who finished the program learned considerable information about starting university, had a favorable attitude regarding studying due to the location-based game, and experienced motivation. An examination of both quantitative data from surveys and qualitative feedback from utilized data found a mix of both positive and negative comments from users. The results presented indicate the potential of location-based games as a beneficial tool for assisting with university transition, along with opportunities for future game design and implementation improvements.
... [104,112], while augmented reality may offer a flexible alternative to 3D printed and other tactile maps [4]. Moving beyond tactile maps, Regal et al. [89] present a mobile location-based game to support advanced O&M training, where students are already familiar with a building layout. Façanha et al. [31] review literature on O&M indoor virtual environments, finding that few studies evaluate cognitive impact. ...
Article
This paper investigates the tools and practices used by Orientation and Mobility (O&M) specialists in instructing people who are blind or have low vision in concepts, skills, and techniques for safe and independent travel. Based on interviews with experienced instructors who practice in different O&M settings we find that a shortage of qualified specialists and restrictions on in-person activities during COVID-19 has accelerated interest in remote instruction and assessment, while widespread adoption of smartphones with accessibility support has driven interest in assistive apps. This presents both opportunities and challenges for a practice that is traditionally conducted in-person and assessed through qualitative observations. In response we identify multiple opportunities for HCI research in service of O&M, including: supporting a 'physician's assistant' model of remote O&M instruction and assessment, matching O&M instructors' clients with guide dogs, highlighting clients' progress towards O&M goals, and collaboratively planning routes and monitoring clients' independent travel progress.
... The ability of individuals to live independently from infancy to adulthood and even old age depends largely on OMS. For these reasons, OMS teaching is a very important element in the education of visually impaired students (Regal et al., 2018), and a formal curriculum for OMS should be prepared. In the United States, the Expanded Core Curriculum, which includes the teaching of OMS, is followed (Yalçın & Altunay-Arslantekin, 2019). ...
Article
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Giriş: Okullarda görme yetersizliği olan öğrencilerin hayatında hayati derece önemli yönelim ve bağımsız hareket becerilerine yönelik sistematik öğretim etkinlikleri yapılabilmesi için ölçme araçlarıyla performans düzeylerinin belirlenmesi son derece önemlidir. Bu araştırmanın amacı, ilkokul ve ortaokul düzeyindeki görme yetersizliği olan öğrenciler için Yönelim ve Bağımsız Hareket Becerileri Kontrol Listesi (YÖBKL) geliştirilmesi ve kesme puanlarının belirlenmesidir.Yöntem: YÖBKL birbirinden bağımsız iki alt kontrol listesinden oluşmaktadır. YÖBKL geliştirmesi sürecinde; bir ildeki ilkokul ve ortaokulda öğrenim gören tüm dokunsal öğrencilere uygulanarak aracın psikometrik özellikleri belirlenmiştir. YÖBKL’nin geçerlik ve güvenirliğine ilişkin elde edilen bulgular, yönelim ve bağımsız hareket becerilerini belirlemede ölçme aracı olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir. Yönelim becerileri (YB) kontrol listesi 6 madde tek faktörlü bir yapıdadır. Bağımsız hareket becerileri (BHB) ise 19 madde 3 faktörlü bir yapıya sahiptir. Araç geliştirildikten sonra puanların yorumlanabilmesi için yüzdelik dilimlerin belirlenmesi yoluyla norm değerlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmış ve bu doğrultuda YÖBKL Türkiye’deki görme yetersizliği olan öğrenciler için açılmış ayrı eğitim ortamlarında öğrenim gören ve bu okullara yakın bölgelerde kaynaştırma uygulamalarına devam eden toplam 402 öğrenciye uygulanmış ancak elde edilen puanların düşük puanlarda yığılması nedeniyle uzman görüşüne dayalı olarak Angoff yöntemi ile kesme puanları belirlenmiştir. Uygulama sonrasında YÖBKL’nin psikometrik özellikleri tekrar incelenmiştir.Bulgular: Elde edilen puanlara ilişkin betimsel istatistikler incelendiğinde, öğrencilerin %70.1’i BHB kontrol lisesinden sıfır puan almıştır. YB puanları normal dağılımdan aşırı bir sapma göstermemektedir. Kontrol listelerinin yapı geçerliği ve güvenirlikleri incelenmiş, YB ve BHB kontrol listeleri için sırasıyla iki ve altı minimum yeterlik düzeyi için kesme puanı olarak belirlenmiştir.Tartışma: Araştırmanın sonuçları ilgili alan yazın çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır. YÖBKL kullanılarak, öğrencileri değerlendirmek, farklı eğitim kurumlarında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin ilerlemelerini belirlemek ve gereksinimleri doğrultusunda uygun eğitimlere yönlendirmek amacıyla kullanılabilir.
... More recently, Augmented and Virtual Reality (A/VR) [44,51,55,57,63,79,80] have been used to supplement O&M training by creating a virtual environment for BPS people to practice their skills and receive multisensory feedback similar to real life navigation with a long cane. For example, Canetroller [80] simulates navigation with a long cane for BPS people in VR by providing vibrotactile and spatial 3D auditory feedback as the cane interacts with different elements in the VR environment. ...
Conference Paper
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Orientation and mobility (O&M) training provides essential skills and techniques for safe and independent mobility for blind and partially sighted (BPS) people. The demand for O&M training is increasing as the number of people living with vision impairment increases. Despite the growing portfolio of HCI research on assistive technologies (AT), few studies have examined the experiences of BPS people during O&M training, including the use of technology to aid O&M training. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 BPS people and 8 Mobility and Orientation Trainers (MOT). The interviews were thematically analysed and organised into four overarching themes discussing factors influencing the self-efficacy belief of BPS people: Tools and Strategies for O&M training, Technology Use in O&M Training, Changing Personal and Social Circumstances, and Social Influences. We further highlight opportunities for combinations of multimodal technologies to increase access to and effectiveness of O&M training.
... For example, researchers started to document some of the barriers visually impaired students face in higher education (Bishop & Rhind, 2011;Lieberman et al., 2002;Vojtech, 2016). Other studies focus on efforts to support the learning of visually-impaired students (Eligi & Mwantimwa, 2017;Pino & Viladot, 2019;Quirke et al., 2018;Regal et al., 2018). In South Africa, a few studies focused on various support systems which are available to disabled students in higher education, such as Disability Units and lecturers. ...
Article
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Although Higher Education Institutions have come a long way in including students with disabilities, many students still experience exclusion or "otherness" among their abled peers. Currently, there is a gap in research where the focus is on the abilities and success stories of such individuals rather than their disabilities, the barriers they face, or the adjustments made to meet their needs. This research aims to share the success stories of a visually impaired student and his visually impaired lecturer at a South African University. Semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were used as collection instruments where after the data was analyzed. The appreciation for friends outweighed the physical barriers. Through perseverance and hard work, the disabled student proved her teacher wrong by successfully entering university and completing her Ph.D.. Both participants looked beyond their limitations and realized their capabilities. [Meskipun usaha untuk mewujudkan perguruan tinggi inklusif sudah dilakukan sejauh ini, tetapi banyak mahasiswa difabel yang masih merasakan ‘keberbedaan’ dirinya dari mahasiswa lain. Inklusi penyandang disabilitas harus mengarah pada peningkatan partisipasi dalam tatanan yang menghasilkan siswa, teman, atau guru terbaik. Saat ini, ada kesenjangan dalam penelitian yang fokusnya adalah pada kemampuan dan kisah sukses individu tersebut daripada disabilitas mereka, hambatan yang mereka hadapi, atau penyesuaian yang dilakukan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk berbagi kisah sukses seorang mahasiswa tunanetra sekaligus dosen tunanetranya di Universitas Afrika Selatan. Melalui ketekunan dan kerja keras, para difabel dalam tulisan ini membuktikan apa yang dianggap tidak mungkin. Kedua subyek melampaui keterbatasan mereka dan menyadari kemampuan mereka.]
... More recently, Augmented and Virtual Reality (A/VR) [44,51,55,57,63,79,80] have been used to supplement O&M training by creating a virtual environment for BPS people to practice their skills and receive multisensory feedback similar to real life navigation with a long cane. For example, Canetroller [80] simulates navigation with a long cane for BPS people in VR by providing vibrotactile and spatial 3D auditory feedback as the cane interacts with different elements in the VR environment. ...
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Figure 1: Factors that influence self-efficacy belief of blind and partially sighted people Orientation and mobility (O&M) training provides essential skills and techniques for safe and independent mobility for blind and partially sighted (BPS) people. The demand for O&M training is increasing as the number of people living with vision impairment increases. Despite the growing portfolio of HCI research on assistive technologies (AT), few studies have examined the experiences of BPS people during O&M training, including the use of technology to aid O&M training. To address this gap, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 BPS people and 8 Mobility and Orientation Trainers (MOT). The interviews were thematically analysed and organised into four overarching themes discussing factors influencing the self-efficacy belief of BPS people: Tools and Strategies for O&M training, Technology Use in O&M Training, Changing Personal and Social Circumstances, and Social Influences. We further highlight opportunities for combinations of multimodal technologies to increase access to and effectiveness of O&M training.
... Sus resultados fueron satisfactorios, sin embargo, las PDV tuvieron problemas con el diseño de interfaz y el modo de interacción en algunos contenidos. Otros autores desarrollaron un juego serio enfocado a capacitación en orientación y movilidad convirtiendo actividades repetitivas en algo entretenido [27]. Se destaca el conocimiento previo que debe tener el usuario en el edificio en donde se llevará a cabo el juego. ...
Article
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A great number of benefits that technology provides are accessed by a smartphone, in order to use it, it is necessary to know how to use the screen readers. However, the use of technology should not be limited by not seeing, not hearing or not being able to touch any technological device. There is currently a gap between people with visual impairment and technology. Despite the existence of a large number of projects that aim to reduce this gap in Mexico, it has not been consistently reduced. This motivates us to develop contributions in this area, so that people with visual disabilities enjoy the same benefits as sighted people. This paper aims to provide a literature review derived from the study phase and an outline of the design phase in the application of the User-Centered Design methodology. This methodology guides the development of a serious game project that will support visually impaired children in their first contact with a smartphone. The bibliographic review that is presented here has allowed us to contextualize and understand the impact of technological contributions and projects for the visually impaired.
... Regal et al. [22] built a mobile location-based game in the virtual world to explore the suitable approach to support O&M training. Zhao et al. [23] designed SeeingVR, a toolkit to enhance the scenes of VR app with visual and audio arguments for low visions. ...
... The system enables bipedalism and a virtual white cane through vibration on a hand controller, while navigating in large spaces. Regal et al. [56] created location-based indoor games to make O&M classes more entertaining in order to increase motivation and learning. Students could either navigate by physically moving in the real world, which was equipped with NFC tags to trigger text-to-speech information, or by using a keyboard in a virtual world to trigger the tags with the "space" key. ...
Article
Orientation and Mobility (O8M) classes teach people with visual impairments how to navigate the world; for instance, how to cross a road. Yet, this training can be difficult and dangerous due to conditions such as traffic and weather. Virtual Reality (VR) can overcome these challenges by providing interactive controlled environments. However, most existing VR tools rely on visual feedback, which limits their use with students with visual impairment. In a collaborative design approach with O8M instructors, we designed an affordable and accessible VR system for O8M classes, called X-Road. Using a smartphone and a Bespoke headmount, X-Road provides both visual and audio feedback and allows users to move in space as in the real world. In a study with 13 students with visual impairments, X-Road proved to be an effective alternative to teaching and learning classical O8M tasks, and both students and instructors were enthusiastic about this technology. We conclude with design recommendations for inclusive VR systems.
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: This research aims to identify the main problems experienced by adults with visual impairments regarding the use and accessibility of orientation and mobility skills and offer solutions for these problems. For this purpose, the knowledge of individuals with visual impairment on orientation and mobility skills and the problems they experience while using these skills and using public transport were discussed. Additionally, the skills they most need and want to learn, and the environment, people, and teaching style they want when being taught these skills were examined in detail according to the participants’ opinions. In the study, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. 17 adults participated in the research, which would provide the most diversity for demographic information such as age, gender, and educational status. The research data were collected with the interview form tool consisting of semi-structured questions. The interviews were deciphered and transferred to the MAXQDA program, which is a computer-aided qualitative data analysis program for analysis. The descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the study, it was found that the level of education in orientation and mobility is quite low and they need to be trained. They suffer accidents due to lack of education, architectural/environmental precautions, inadequacy of measures taken for transportation, lack of assistive technology, attitude of people and lack of training of sighted guides. O&M programs can be developed for adults that include various indoor and outdoor routes and using transport.
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This study is done within the framework of a project aimed at developing a wearable device (a bracelet) intended to support sensory motor rehabilitation of children with visual impairments. We present an exploratory study of aesthetic/hedonistic preferences for sounds and touch experiences among visually impaired children. The work is done in a participatory setting, and we have used mixed methods (questionnaires, workshop and field trial using a mobile location based app for story creation) in order to get a more complete initial picture of how enjoyable training devices should be designed for our target users.
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In this article, we propose an educational mobile game designed to help visually impaired children to develop orientation skills. These skills are usually trained at orientation and mobility classes for special needs children. The proposed game can be played on touch screen mobile devices and can be used in class or after classes. It uses a child appropriate theme and it aims at training children to perform accurate sound localization, while distinguishing concepts like front/back, left/right, close/far, etc. We have had very promising results from a preliminary test with blind and low vision students. Training these concepts on an entertaining environment can have very positive outcomes as it motivates children to spend more time training and at the same time allows children to forget that they need to train due to their special needs.
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This paper presents the design and implementation of mAbES, a mobile, audio-based environment simulator to assist the development of orientation and mobility skills in people who are blind. The modeling scenario of mAbES was a science and technology museum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The application was designed for use by people who are blind without the supervision of a facilitator or aid. The mAbES software allows for testing the creation of mental maps when people who are blind navigate through the museum.
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The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of audio and a haptic-based videogame has an impact on the development of Orientation and Mobility (O&M) skills in school-age blind learners. The video game Audio Haptic Maze (AHM) was designed, developed and its usability and cognitive impact was evaluated to determine the impact on the development of O&M skills. The results show that the interfaces used in the videogame are usable and appropiately designed, and that the haptic interface is as effective as the audio interface for O&M purposes.
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This work presents an evaluative study on the usability of a haptic device together with a sound-based videogame for the development and use of orientation and mobility (O&M) skills in closed, unfamiliar spaces by blind, school-aged children. A usability evaluation was implemented for a haptic device especially designed for this study (Digital Clock Carpet) and a 3D videogame (MOVA3D) in order to determine the degree to which the user accepted the device, and the level of the user's satisfaction regarding her interaction with these products for O&M purposes. In addition, a preliminary cognitive evaluation was administered. Usability results show that both the haptic device and the videogame are usable, accepted and considered to be pleasant for use by blind children. The results also show that they are ready to be used for cognitive learning purposes. Results from the preliminary cognitive study demonstrated significant gains in the development of tempo-spatial orientation skills of blind children when navigating in unfamiliar spaces.
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There is a real need to have systems for people with visual disabilities to be able to improve their orientation and mobility skills, and especially for children to be able to improve their autonomy into the future. However, these systems must be designed according to available objectives, methodologies and resources, as well as by taking the interests and ways of interacting of the end users into account. This work presents a model for the development of videogame-based applications, which includes differing levels of abstraction and different stages in the design and development of systems that allow for the improvement of orientation and mobility skills for people with visual disability. The feasibility of the model was studied by modeling two videogames for children with visual disabilities. KeywordsSoftware engineering model-serious videogames-orientation and mobility-audiogames
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This paper presents the virtual reality applications developed for the feasibility study tests of the EU funded IST project ENORASI. ENORASI aims at developing a highly interactive and extensible haptic VR training system that allows visually impaired people, especially those blind from birth, to study and interact with various virtual objects. A number of custom applications have been developed based on the interface provided by the CyberGrasp haptic device. Eight test categories were identified and corresponding tests were developed for each category. Twenty-six blind persons conducted the tests and the evaluation results have shown the degree of acceptance of the technology and the feasibility of the proposed approach.
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The research in the area of game accessibility has grown significantly since the last time it was examined in 2005. This paper examines the body of work between 2005 and 2010. We selected a set of papers on topics we felt represented the scope of the field, but were not able to include all papers on the subject. A summary of the research we examined is provided, along with suggestions for future work in game accessibility. It is hoped that this summary will prompt others to perform further research in this area.
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We present a study about the use of current electronic travel aids to help blind people navigate through familiar and unfamiliar environments. We also discuss the main strengths and weaknesses of electronic travel aids and propose guidelines to design and use them adequately. We provide a proposal to develop and use traveling aids. As a result, this can be a first step towards defining major aspects to develop travel aids oriented to assist mobility and orientation of blind people. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2007.
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In the current market many game developers and publishers treat the cellular phone as just another platform to which they can port a console game; they ignore the exciting new possibilities cellular phones provide via their inherent ability to maintain connectivity while on the move. One possibility is to extend the virtual world of traditional video games through location-based information, which allows users to play games that incorporate knowledge of their physical location and landscape, and then provides them with the ability to interact with both real and virtual objects within that space. However, if such games are to become pervasive and if developers want their efforts to escape the bounds of the research laboratory, they must address the nature of the cellular environment, the precision of the location-based technologies in their region, and the present and likely future capabilities of cellular handsets. To aid innovative game development we draw together many fragmented sources of information for an assessment of technologies, and implementations of cellular location-based games. Further, we discuss practical mechanisms for producing a finer degree of location granularity, both through future technology and our novel implementations of systems that augment location-sensing. The first mechanism uses Bluetooth, which is already a pervasive component of mobile phones feature sets, and can be implemented without the need for client side software. The second implements the use of a future pervasive technology, RFID tags, now that commercial cellular handsets that incorporate RFID readers have emerged.
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Mobile technologies offer the opportunity to embed learning in a natural environment. This paper describes the design of the MobileGame prototype, exploring the opportunities to support learning through an orientation game in a university setting. The paper first in- troduces the scenario and then describes the general architecture of the prototype. The main part of the paper focuses on the evaluation of design issues and the effects observed in two trials. Design issues include: Supporting work on the move poses difficult interface ques- tions, the accuracy of current outdoor, and indoor positioning systems is still problematic and the game requires near real-time response time. The evaluation of the effects shows that features such as 'map-navigation' and 'hunting and hiding' lead to excitement and fun. The participants immerse into a mixed reality that augments both physical and social space. The game success is based on the motivating design of the game itself. The paper concludes with open issues for future research, especially with the need to thoroughly evaluate the learning benefits.
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Over the last three decades, video games have evolved from a pastime into a force of change that is transforming the way people perceive, learn about, and interact with the world around them. In addition to entertainment, games are increasingly used for other purposes such as education or health. Despite this increased interest, a significant number of people encounter barriers when playing games due to a disability. Accessibility problems may include the following: (1) not being able to receive feedback; (2) not being able to determine in-game responses; (3) not being able to provide input using conventional input devices. This paper surveys the current state-of-the-art in research and practice in the accessibility of video games and points out relevant areas for future research. A generalized game interaction model shows how a disability affects ones ability to play games. Estimates are provided on the total number of people in the United States whose ability to play games is affected by a disability. A large number of accessible games are surveyed for different types of impairments, across several game genres, from which a number of high- and low-level accessibility strategies are distilled for game developers to inform their design.
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This work presents an evaluative study on the usability of a haptic device together with a sound-based video game for the development and use of orientation and mobility (O&M) skills in closed, unfamiliar spaces by blind, school-aged children. A usability evaluation was implemented for a haptic device especially designed for this study (Digital Clock Carpet) and a D video game (MOVA3D) in order to determine the degree to which the user accepted the device, and the level of the user’s satisfaction regarding her interaction with these products for O&M purposes. In addition, a cognitive evaluation was administered. The results show that both the haptic device and the video game are usable, accepted and considered to be pleasant for use by blind children. The results also show that they are ready to be used for cognitive learning purposes. Results from a cognitive study demonstrated significant gains in tempo-spatial orientation skills of blind children when navigating in unfamiliar spaces.
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This article reviews a selected set of location–based services (LBS) that have been published in the research literature, focussing on mobile guides, transport support, gaming, assistive technology and health. The research needs and opportunities in each area are evaluated and the connections between each category of LBS are discussed. The review illustrates the enormous diversity of forms in which LBS are appearing and the wide range of application sectors that are represented. However, very few of these applications are implemented pervasively on a commercial basis as this is still challenging technically and economically.
Conference Paper
We present findings from an interview-based study of the pervasive mobile multiplayer game Ingress. Our study focuses on how boundaries between (1) everyday life and play and (2) 'real' and game space blur in pervasive gaming. We present findings on how the game is integrated into everyday life and affects players' mobility patterns, and on how players experience the relation between real world and game world, the game 'bleeding' into the everyday (blurring boundaries at least partially) even though it is not explicitly experienced as hybrid. Furthermore we discuss how notions of play versus ordinary life still affect some players, and how some players are willing to take and create risks and treat the game as consequential in their everyday interactions with (enemy) players. This further blurs the boundaries of the magic circle, but also creates tensions between casual and serious styles of play. Our findings add to the empirical literature on pervasive games by focusing on player experience in a large-scale pervasive game.
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Digital technology facilitates the lives of visually impaired people. To design accessible technology accepted by the target group, comprehensive methods of user-centred design are needed. In this paper, we present a case study with visually impaired pupils aiming for gaining bottom-up insights to support the ideation and design of a game editor to support orientation and mobility training. We involved relevant stakeholders (pupils, teachers, mobility trainers) using multiple methods, including (contextual) interview, focus group, (ideation) workshop, Gamestorming, digital survey, behavioural observation, self-experience, and early stage prototype testing. With our approach we were able to gain a rich understanding about the needs of visually impaired pupils. The objective of this paper is to serve as reference for researchers cooperating with visually impaired pupils by providing (1) design implications for a game editor, and (2) a comprehensive reflection on approaches and issues of user-centred design methods with visually impaired pupils.
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Accessible games, both for serious and for entertainment purposes, would allow inclusion and participation for those with disabilities. Research into the development of accessible games, and accessible virtual environments, is discussed. Research into accessible Virtual Environments has demonstrated great potential for allowing people who are blind to explore new spaces, reduce their reliance on guides and aid development of more efficient spatial maps and strategies. Importantly, Lahav and Mioduser (2005, 2008) have demonstrated that, when exploring virtual spaces, people who are blind use more and different strategies than when exploring real physical spaces, and develop relatively accurate spatial representations of them. The present paper describes the design, development and evaluation of a system in which a virtual environment may be explored by people who are blind using Nintendo Wii devices, with auditory and haptic feedback. The nature of the various types of feedback is considered, with the aim of creating an intuitive and usable system. Using Wii technology has many advantages: it is mainstream, readily available and cheap. The potential of the system for exploration and navigation is demonstrated. Results strongly support the possibilities of the system for facilitating and supporting the construction of cognitive maps and spatial strategies. Intelligent support is discussed. Systems such as the present one will facilitate the development of accessible games, and thus enable Universal Design and accessible interactive technology to become more accepted and widespread.
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This paper introduces the idea that location based pervasive games can be used to make mobility training for visually impaired children more fun. The user centred development process which has been carried out in collaboration with both visually impaired children and rehabilitation staff is described and we present a novel game concept which combines locative play, sound traces and a physical catch movement. We report and discuss results of user tests and summarize our experience in a set of tentative development and design guidelines for this type of game.
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As location based games move players out of the house and onto the streets the experience of game play radically changes. Game designers have the opportunity to incorporate artifacts, elements and events that might naturally occur in the real world into the game play so that a particular place becomes more meaningful. This paper explores the relevance of place and the idea of "design for coincidence". Design for coincidence is illustrated through case studies and a number of example games that show how this approach has been effective in location based games.
Conference Paper
This paper discusses the principal constraints encountered when adapting computer game so they work for visually impaired children. A game platform, the blindstation, was developed to answer to the technical problem. It allows to adapt existing content or create some new games. It provides a set of Python functions to describe those games in an way, independent from their representation. The platform can then render the game in a multi-modal way using the screen, keyboard, mouse and joystick, but also using some specific devices like a Braille terminal, 3D sound, a tactile board or a speech synthesiser. The rendering is done according to an XML style sheet which describes the available resources. It can be customised depending on the available devices but also on the user's choices and disabilities. Our experience is based on the TiM project intends to develop and to adapt computer games for visually impaired children. Several games specially adapted for blind children (from 3 to 10 years old) were designed, involving blind children to evaluate and improve the games. We have established that this is more than games that are strictly accessible, that is games in which all contents can be accessed (directly or via an alternative), but games that are still considered as games by the targeted users.
Conference Paper
We have implemented a conceptual software framework and a game, which provides rich and vivid narratives in vast geographical areas. An impor- tant design issue in the emergent research area of pervasive gaming, is to pro- vide believable environments where game content is matched to the landscape in an evocative and persuasive way. More specific, the game is designed to generate such an environment to fit with a journey as experienced from the backseat of a car. Therefore, it continuously reference common geographical objects in the vicinity in the stories; it provides a sequential narrative that fit with the travelled path; it works over vast areas, and it is possible to interact with the game while looking out of the car windows.
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In this paper we investigate the basic properties of location-based games. This new type of game is made possible by the recent advances of mobile computing hardware and infrastructure. Players act not by pressing buttons or moving pawns on a board, but by moving around themselves in the real world. We present a simple classification of location-based games, and show how these games can be designed and implemented. With some adaptations, game concepts from existing board and computer games can be mapped to make location-based games more interesting and fun to play. Our methods are demonstrated with three actual game examples. Further, common infrastructure requirements are deduced and we show how the open platform developed by the neXus working group fulfills them.
Engaging students with intellectual disabilities through location based games
  • Maria Saridaki
  • Constantinos Mourlas
  • Elina Roinioti
Maria Saridaki, Constantinos Mourlas, and Elina Roinioti. 2013. Engaging students with intellectual disabilities through location based games. Workshop on Games for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.fdg2013.org/program/workshops/papers /G4L2013/g4l2013_08.pdf
Location-Based Digital Games Platform for Touristic Activities
  • Rodolfo Silva
Advances in game accessibility from
  • Kevin Thomas Westin
  • Dimitris Bierre
  • Michelle Gramenos
  • Hinn
Extending cyberspace
An audio game for training navigation skills of blind children
  • Kevin Allain
  • Mick Dado
  • Olivier Van Gelderen
  • Miguel Hokke
  • Oliveira
  • N D Bidarra
  • Gaubitch
  • C Richard
  • Ben Hendriks
  • Kybartas
  • Flavio Coutinho
  • Marcelle Silva
  • Raquel Prates
  • Luiz Chaimowizc
Flavio Coutinho, Marcelle Silva, Raquel Prates, and Luiz Chaimowizc. 2010. A Survey on Game Accessibility. Universal Access in the Information Society 10, 1: 81-100.
An orientation game with 3D spatialized audio for visually impaired children
  • Rodolfo Silva
Rodolfo Silva. 2013. Location-Based Digital Games Platform for Touristic Activities. Universidade do Porto. Retrieved from https://repositorioaberto.up.pt/bitstream/10216/66932/2/27438.pdf 29. Diogo Simões and Sofia Cavaco. 2014. An orientation game with 3D spatialized audio for visually impaired children. In Proceedings of the 11th Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology -ACE '14, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1145/2663806.2663868
Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and
A Survey on Game Accessibility
  • Coutinho Flavio