Novel Stimuli to Benchmark and Train Echolocation Skills.

Abstract

Echolocation is a remarkable skill used by some blind people to navigate their surroundings by interpreting echoes from self-made sounds such as mouth clicks. Despite its potential to significantly improve blind travelers' navigational independence and quality of life (Thaler; Norman, Dodsworth, et al.), echolocation remains largely underutilized. This is partly due to limited understanding of its benefits and mechanisms, as well as its steep learning curve and the lack of optimal sensory cues for training. This study describes a carefully designed set of sounds that manipulate specific temporal cues for improved spatial perception, making echolocation more accessible to beginners and potentially speeding up the learning process. These stimuli and findings could be used to develop targeted training programs to accelerate beginners' learning, raise awareness, and promote their teaching more broadly. Furthermore, incorporating these stimuli into echolocation-based assistive devices, virtual platforms, and environments could broaden the reach and impact of echolocation on the lives of blind and visually impaired people.