Max M L, Gonzalez J R
Stud Health Technol Inform. 1997;39:54-9.
Can Virtual Reality (VR) developments in audio navigation for blind persons support therapies for all? Working with Crystal River Engineering we are developing navigable Virtual Reality worlds for blind users, using spatialized audio [1], [2]. All persons, however, use specialized channels, such as: visual, aural, and kinetic learning senses. Predominantly visual VR worlds and health informatics models from World Wide Webs, may be downloaded, tailored, augmented, and delivered to each of these learning senses using VR. We are also testing a proof of concept system with Boston Dynamics which downloads 3-dimensional, satellite-derived map models from the World Wide Web, and makes them navigable by "feeling" the terrain using haptic (tactual or force feedback to your hand) robotic interfaces. Ultimately, these multi-sensory VR access methods: sight, localization by audio, and "feeling" of data sets could open up the World Wide Web to individuals with sight impairments. This could also, however, benefit government, businesses, universities, and (elementary) education. It could contribute more powerful communications, education, and medical simulation applications on the World Wide Web. This work is part of government technology transfer to telemedicine, (elementary) education, disabilities access to the Web, and new Internet access and productivity efforts under Vice President Gore's National Performance Review.
虚拟现实（VR）在盲人音频导航方面的发展能否支持所有人的治疗？我们与水晶河工程公司合作，正在利用空间音频为盲人用户开发可导航的虚拟现实世界[1][2]。然而，所有人都使用专门的渠道，如视觉、听觉和动觉学习感官。来自万维网的主要是视觉的VR世界和健康信息学模型，可以通过VR下载、定制、增强并传递给这些学习感官中的每一种。我们还在与波士顿动力公司测试一个概念验证系统，该系统从万维网下载三维卫星衍生地图模型，并通过使用触觉（向手部提供触觉或力反馈）机器人接口“感受”地形使其可导航。最终，这些多感官VR访问方法，即视觉、音频定位和数据集“感受”，可以为视力障碍者打开万维网的大门。然而，这也可能使政府、企业、大学和（小学）教育受益。它可以在万维网上促成更强大的通信、教育和医学模拟应用。这项工作是政府技术向远程医疗、（小学）教育、残疾人网络访问以及副总统戈尔的《国家绩效评估》下的新互联网访问和生产力努力转移的一部分。
