Assessing the utility of dual finger haptic interaction with 3D virtual environments for blind people

Whereas the rapid growth in use of 3 dimensional computer images has proved to be of significant value to many computer users, they have remained totally inaccessible to blind people. The EU GRAB project is seeking to establish the degree to which a dual-finger haptic interface, augmented by audio input and output, can provide non-visual access to this important area of the information world. The haptic interface itself is an entirely new development controlled by a powerful haptic modelling tool. Validation of such a device is a complex procedure, not least because it falls entirely outside of the experience of most users.