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Optimaliseren van echolocatie in oriëntatie en mobiliteit: een evidence-based trainingsprogramma voor mensen met een visuele beperking

Projectomschrijving

Optimaliseren van echo-localisatie

Met echo-localisatie kan een beeld van de omringende ruimte worden gemaakt. Het doel was meer kennis te verkrijgen over echolokalisatie en in samenwerking met professionals uit de praktijk mogelijk richtlijnen te ontwikkelen voor een echo-localisatie training die gebaseerd zijn op de wetenschappelijke resultaten van het huidige project. Het project is uitgevoerd op drie locaties, Nijmegen, Eindhoven, en Antwerpen. Uit een enquete onder oriëntatie-, en mobiliteitstrainers blijkt de meerderheid echolokalisatie van toegevoegde waarde vindt voor de cliënt. Verder is gevonden dat het aanleren van echolokalisatie samenhangt met de volgehouden en verdeelde aandacht. Verder is naar voren gekomen dat echolokalisatie het detecteren en vermijden van obstakels tijdens het wandelen kan verbeteren. Als laatste is gebleken dat een kunstmatig klikgeluid tot betere echolokalisatie leidt dan de tongklik. Deze gegevens zijn belangrijk voor het ontwerp van een training.

Optimization of echolocation

Echolocation can be used to create an image of the surrounding. The goals was to advance insights in echolocation in collaboration with professionals working with individuals with a visual impairment, in order to develop a training that is based on these scientific insights. The project was performed at three sites, Nijmegen, Eindhoven, and Antwerpen. A survey performed with professionals showed that the majority acknolwedged the added benefit of echolocation. Further, learning to echolocate was affected by selective and sustained attention. Echolocation was further shown echolocation improved the avoidance of obstacles during walking. Finally, an artificial sound signal might be beneficial over the use of real tongue click signals. These insights can be used to design a echolocation training for clients.

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Samenvatting van de aanvraag

Echolocation is a perceptual ability most often associated with bats and dolphins. However, a number of blind people have mastered the skill of human echolocation, i.e. they can explore their surroundings by listening to self-produced tongue clicks and the acoustical response from the physical environment. Silent objects can be detected and information regarding their position, size, shape and density can be obtained. Consequently, echolocation is a useful means by which blind people are able to localize and even recognize objects in order to orient and navigate themselves in spaces. The goal of this project is to scientifically evaluate and optimize the current echolocation training provided by Royal Dutch Visio. They developed the blueprint for a training program for professionals that is also used by Bartiméus and Blindenzorg Licht & Liefde (in Belgium). To that aim we will perform an evaluation of the current training method (Work Package 1). Second an in-depth study will be performed on the role of both the physical characteristics of the emitted click-signals as well as the click-strategies used in achieving high-quality localization and orientation performance (Work Package 2). Third, and finally, we will propose guidelines for integrating the gained knowledge into the current training program allowing customization for the particular needs and capabilities of individual clients (Work Package 3). The project thus consists of three Work Packages. The studies in Work Packages 1 and 2 run parallel in Nijmegen, Eindhoven and Antwerpen, followed by the final Work Package 3 in which the teams including the experts from the institutes assemble the findings and provide guidelines for an improved training in one or more consensus meetings. In the first Work Package, the progress of echolocation trainees (ic clients) that participate in the current one-day training program will be evaluated in a study using pre- and post-testing. Orientation and mobility performance of the client will be related to the characteristics of their clicking behavior as well as to characteristics of the client, such as visual acuity, hearing, age, mobility, and their spatial abilities. This study will be performed in Nijmegen. The data of this study will be used to assess training efficacy and to customize training for future participants (Work Package 3). In the second Work Package, experimental evidence will be collected to further improve the training. One series of experiments performed in Antwerpen investigates the link between clicking strategies, i.e. the active modulation of click-train parameters, used by expert echolocators and echolocation performance. Highly skilled echolocators will be tested in varying navigation situations to characterize their echolocation strategies in those circumstances. We aim to find out the physical characteristics of the clicks and click-trains that allow them to arrive at their expert mobility performance. In particular, we want to learn what constitutes a ‘good’ click, a ‘good’ click strategy as well as how click and click strategy depend on circumstances. An acoustic monitoring device will be developed to collect both the click-signals and the environmental setup while following the echolocation experts. A second series of experiments performed in Eindhoven will investigate the link between physical properties of individual clicks and echolocation performance. The role of the most important click and click-train parameters for human echolocation will be investigated in controlled experimental settings, i.e. the frequency content and the location of the click as well as the click-train strategy. In particular, the role of their acoustic properties related to the capacity to perform the echolocation tasks related to object location and object dimension will be assessed. In the third, and final, Work Package, the results collected in Work Packages 1 and 2 will be discussed with experienced mobility trainers and clients (end users) in one or more consensus meetings. Based on this, guidelines for customized, evidence based, training program will be proposed. These guidelines will be written down in protocols which form the basis of the improved training program.

Onderwerpen

Kenmerken

Projectnummer:
94310001
Looptijd: 100%
Looptijd: 100 %
2013
2018
Onderdeel van programma:
Projectleider en penvoerder:
Prof. dr. B. Steenbergen
Verantwoordelijke organisatie:
Nijmeegs Instituut voor Cognitie en Informatie (NICI)