Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Fig. 1. A glove with a 3x3 tactors grid used to map the elements of the space around the user. Abstract—This paper introduces a research which aims to demonstrate that the use of a haptic language, consisting of signs with a higher level of expressiveness, can effectively help a user in their locomotion, complementing or even replacing their vision. We propose to develop a network of haptic actuators using a set of patterns to express elements of an environment with obstacles and free paths. This is used to assist the orientation and locomotion of a user either in virtual or real worlds. Preliminary results and future work are presented and discussed. Keywords-vibrotactile communication; tactile display; haptics; I