Mobility Assessment Using Simulated Artificial Human Vision

Recent research on Artificial Human Vision (AHV, or visual prostheses) has focused on providing visually meaningful information to the blind through electrical stimulation of a visual system component. This paper reports on the use of a programmable PDA-based AHV simulator which can be used by normally sighted participants. Using three different display types, mobility performance on an indoor artificial mobility course was assessed using Percentage of Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS) and mobility errors. A looming obstacle alert display was not found to assist with mobility performance. Mobility performance increased as participants learned to use the simulation effectively. Posture, head movements and gait were affected by use of the simulation