Vision-deprived Virtual navigation patterns using depth cues & the effect of extended sensory range

How does the lack of vision affect one's path through real & virtual environments? How do these routes change when different assistive tools, such as the traditional White-Cane or new devices such as the EyeCane, are used? These questions have significant repercussions as independent Mobility poses one of the main challenges facing the blind. Here, we use a series of virtual environments and non-visual interfaces to comparatively explore the differences in intuitive navigation: when using the virtual-EyeCane, when using a virtual White-Cane, when navigating without using a device at all and finally when navigating visually. We show that using the virtual-EyeCane as a non-visual interface to virtual environments increases their accessibility, that characteristics of navigating with it are different from those of White-Cane users and from those of navigation without an assistive device, and that users of the virtual-EyeCane complete more levels successfully, taking a shorter path and with less collisions than users of the white cane or no device. Finally, we demonstrate that navigation with the virtual-EyeCane takes on patterns relatively similar to those of navigating visually.