Tactile, audio, and vibration maps to help people who are blind get around
Maps as a service: A systematic approach to the production of tactile and audio/vibrational maps for visually impaired users
Building on-demand tactile printouts and smartphone audio/vibration maps to help people who are blind learn and navigate routes before and during travel.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Santa Cruz NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Cruz, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141012 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a person who is blind, this project aims to give me maps I can touch or hear so I can learn a route before I travel. The team will create an online service that automatically turns geographic areas into standardized tactile maps and into audio/vibration experiences on Android phones. They plan to expand mapping beyond outdoor areas to indoor spaces and to test these tools with blind users to refine symbols and interaction modes. The goal is to make pre-journey learning and in-route orientation easier and more widely available.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who are blind or have severe visual impairment and are willing to try tactile maps and Android-based audio/vibration navigation tools.
Not a fit: People with full usable vision, those who cannot perceive touch or vibration, or those without access to a compatible smartphone or tactile-printing service may not benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let people who are blind prepare for trips ahead of time and travel more independently using tactile maps and phone-based audio/vibration guidance.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows that pre-journey learning with tactile or multimodal maps can improve spatial awareness for blind travelers, but automated on-demand tactile production and indoor audio/vibration mapping are less tested.
Where this research is happening
Santa Cruz, United States
- University of California Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Manduchi, Roberto — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Manduchi, Roberto
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.