Haptic mirror: a platform for active exploration of facial expressions and social interaction by individuals who are blind

Abstract

To people who are visually impaired, sensory substitution requires conversion from distal visual data to proximal haptic cue. The challenge is to identify the optimum haptic cues that will make a common haptic "language", which can eventually be used to convey information about facial expressions to the individuals who are blind. Once this language has been developed, the next challenge is learning and training. We propose a dynamic haptic tool for simultaneous learning and interaction with a proposed haptic language. We call this application "Haptic mirror", an interactive haptic-based reflection of one's self which can be comparable to a visual mirror. Once the user has acquired this language, it can be used to convey the facial expressions of social peers.