RESUMEN
This paper describes an experiment in which the performance of cane walkers with the traditional straight long cane and a redesigned cane, the curved cane, was compared. The curved cane has a curve where the tip touches the ground. Participants were 18 experienced cane walkers who were totally blind. The aspects of cane walking that were investigated included obstacle detection, drop-off (slope) detection and walking speed. The performance with both canes was investigated in two different ways: (1) by means of constructed courses in which objective measures of cane walking were derived; and (2) by means of more qualitative measures based on the participants' experiences with the curved cane during a 3-week try-out period. Results showed that obstacle-detection was significantly better with the curved cane, whereas drop-off detection and walking speed were comparable for the two canes. The participants' experiences mirrored these results.
Asunto(s)
Ceguera/rehabilitación , Bastones , Ergonomía , Dispositivos de Autoayuda , Adulto , Anciano , Análisis de Varianza , Diseño de Equipo , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The significance of texture as a source of information in tactual space perception was studied using a linear positioning task. A spatial texture gradient, whose elements changed with position and distance, a homogeneous raised-element pattern and a smooth surface were used. Participants had to reproduce locations and distances on these surfaces under various conditions. In active conditions, participants moved their indexfinger across the surface. In passive conditions, the texture was moved beneath the indexfinger of the participant. In conditions with equal movement speed, movement speeds' of criterion and reproduction phase were matched, in conditions with unequal movement speed, they did not match. The largest errors were obtained for the combined passive movement-unequal movement speed conditions. In these conditions, differences between textures were visible for signed and unsigned errors, indicating that textures may differ in the cutaneous specification of distance and location.
Asunto(s)
Atención , Discriminación en Psicología , Percepción Espacial , Tacto , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Orientación , Tiempo de Reacción , EstereognosisRESUMEN
The haptic exploratory procedures that eight congenitally blind infants aged 8-24 months used to explore a gradient surface texture were investigated. Exploration of the gradient texture was examined over five sessions with 2 weeks between sessions, followed after 1 week by a sixth session, in which exploration of the gradient texture was compared to exploration of two other textures. Results showed that the infants have a wide range of exploratory strategies available and that the older infants can use these strategies in a specific manner. Results are discussed with reference to current ideas about the exploratory possibilities of congenitally blind infants. Use of texture in the stimulation of exploration of blind infants is discussed.