3D Building Plans: Supporting Navigation by People who are Blind or have Low Vision in Multi-Storey Buildings

Title of the Paper

3D Building Plans: Supporting Navigation by People who are Blind or have Low Vision in Multi-Storey Buildings

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Navigation assistance design for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV)
• Keywords: 3D printed maps, spatial cognition, indoor accessibility, multi-storey buildings, navigation assistance, tactile maps, orientation and mobility training, user research, spatial understanding, assistive tools for the blind

Research Background and Problem

• Identified Issues or Challenges:

  • Independent navigation in complex multi-storey buildings is a significant challenge for BLV individuals, particularly when transitioning between floors, which often leads to disorientation.
  • While tactile maps can assist BLV individuals in building cognitive maps of their environment during orientation and mobility (O&M) training, current solutions primarily focus on single-floor or outdoor environments. Research on tactile maps for multi-storey buildings is limited, making it difficult to effectively support cross-floor spatial understanding.

• Significance:

  • Addressing this issue can significantly enhance the independence, confidence, and participation of BLV individuals in workplaces, shopping centers, and other public spaces.

• Research Motivation and Related Work:

  • Tactile maps and 3D printing technologies have shown potential in supporting spatial cognition in recent years, but the design of cognitive maps for multi-storey buildings and related user experience issues remain underexplored.
  • Proposing and validating new designs can fill this research gap and promote the adoption of O&M training tools.

Solution

• Proposed Methods or Solutions:

  1. Three 3D model designs: flat model, sliding overlay model, and rotating overlay model.
  2. Combining tactile feedback and 3D printing technology, utilizing sliding and rotating mechanisms to facilitate tactile exploration of inter-floor relationships.

• Innovative Aspects:

  • Introduced two "overlay designs" (sliding and rotating structures) that significantly reduce the cognitive load for BLV individuals when understanding the connections between different floors.
  • Carefully designed 3D tactile elements for vertical connection points (e.g., escalators and elevators), emphasizing the tactile exploration experience across floors.
  • Compared to traditional single-floor flat models, these designs provide more intuitive support for cross-floor spatial understanding and cognition.

• Implementation Steps:

  1. Use 3D printing technology to generate three different model designs: flat, multi-layer sliding, and multi-layer rotating.
  2. Each model includes three-floor plans, with details such as tactile markers (e.g., elevators and escalators).
  3. Conduct user studies with 9 BLV participants:
     • Test spatial memory, usability, and user preferences for each model.
     • Collect data through questionnaires and task completion performance.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:

  1. All three models (flat, sliding, rotating) were deemed useful, usable, and appealing, helping users build cognitive maps of multi-storey buildings.
  2. The stacked models (sliding and rotating) performed better in supporting cross-floor spatial understanding.
  3. Users found the sliding and rotating models more intuitive and easier for constructing an overall three-dimensional spatial cognition.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • The overlay model designs significantly simplified the operational challenges and memory load for users when constructing cross-floor cognitive maps.
  • Compared to traditional flat maps, the overlay models better align with ergonomic requirements for actual floor layouts, supporting simultaneous tactile exploration with both hands.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • User preferences clearly leaned towards the sliding and rotating overlay models (5 participants preferred the sliding model, 4 preferred the rotating model).
  • The tactile design of vertical connection points (escalators and elevators) significantly enhanced cross-floor tactile recognition.
  • User engagement scores for the three models (UES-SF) ranged from 4.17 to 4.31, exceeding general user experience standards.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: The small sample size (9 participants) limits the statistical significance of the analysis; the experimental setting was a laboratory environment, lacking tests in real-world complex buildings.
  • Future Directions:
    • Expand the sample size to include a broader range of BLV individuals.
    • Test the models in real building environments.
    • Explore optimizations for "miniaturization" and "additional audio markers" to enhance portability and practical value.
    • Involve O&M trainers in the research to extend the applicability of the designs in real training scenarios.

This research highlights the significant potential of 3D printing technology in assistive navigation for BLV individuals, particularly in translating spatial visualization into tactile cognition. It provides valuable references and momentum for designing more user-friendly tactile maps for complex multi-storey buildings in the future.