Spatial Images from Vision, Touch and Hearing in Sighted and Blind

Principal researcher

Project details

Start date: 01/04/2008
End date: 31/02/2009

Description: As people interact with their environment, they maintain a perceptual representation of its physical layout, including the location of objects. When the supporting sensory stimulation ceases, as, for example, when an object is hidden by another or when it passes out of the person's field of view as they turn around, people still 'know' where the object is and can direct actions toward it (e.g., they can point to its location without seeing it). This project investigates the representation of spatial layout that remains in the absence of direct sensory support. The hypothesis is that these representations ("spatial images") are fully three-dimensional, may be created by vision, hearing, or touch, and stationary with respect to the environment as the person moves. The work examines whether intentional interaction with the environment strengthens spatial images and compares spatial images from different sensory modalities (vision, hearing and touch) to determine whether spatial images are modality-specific (retaining characteristics of the input modality) or are amodal. Importantly, the work will evaluate spatial images in both blind and sighted people. The significance of the project is twofold. First, the project will bring some balance to the enormous literature on imagery, which has been almost exclusively concerned with visual imagery in sighted people. Second, a better characterization of the functional properties of spatial images will inform the design of non-visual computer interfaces for blind/low-vision people and for sighted people performing tasks in which visual information is lacking (e.g., while steering a car or aircraft, keeping track of goals and threats not currently in sight). The work also has relevance for the development of navigation systems for blind and visually impaired people. The results should promote better understanding of the efficacy of non-visual displays for use by the blind and visually impaired populations.

Other organisations involved in this project

Funded by the National Science Foundation.

Last updated: 17/04/2008