Design and Optimization of Assistive Ultrasonic Echolocation

Date & Time

Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 10:20 AM PDT  

Location

Platinum 1  

Description

In this session, we describe “Robin,” a prototype wearable device for human echolocation drawing inspiration from echolocating bats, established practices and techniques of unassisted human oral echolocation, and previous biomimetic-assisted echolocation prototypes. Robin builds on this work by incorporating practical design considerations and directly addressing engineering and cost constraints imposed by a fully self-contained wearable platform. We will describe our user testing approach, starting with a large-scale online study using a simple virtual auditory display that simulates the effect of varying key design parameters. We embed this approach in the broader strategy of empirically exploring signal spaces, applied to ultrasonic echolocation and wearable assistive technology generally. Finally, we discuss how alternate or complementary sensing technologies like Robin might be used in future mobility aids that similarly leverage biosonar-derived, context-adaptive design principles.  

Audience

• Information & Communications Technology
• Disability Specific
• Healthcare & Rehabilitation
• Research & Development

Audience Level

Advanced  

Session Summary (Abstract)

What does it take to make bat sonar practically useful for blind travelers? Attendees will learn about the basic principles, applied practice and engineering tradeoffs of designing, testing and refining a prototype wearable echolocation device.  

Primary Topic

Blind/Low Vision  

Secondary Topics

• Design
• Engineering
• Mobility
• Research

 

Session Type

Journal Track  

Presenters

• Ian Reynolds
  
• Santani Teng
  Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute

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