Navigation with a sensory substitution device in congenitally blind individuals
Abstract
Vision allows for obstacle detection and avoidance. The compensatory mechanisms involved in maintaining these functions in blind people using their remaining intact senses are poorly understood. We investigated the ability of congenitally blind participants to detect and avoid obstacles using the tongue display unit, a sensory substitution device that uses the tongue as a portal to the brain. We found that congenitally blind were better than sighted control participants in detecting and avoiding obstacles using the tongue display unit. Obstacles size and avoidance strategy had a significant effect on performance: large obstacles were better detected than small ones and step-around obstacles were better avoided than step-over ones. These data extend our earlier findings that when using a sensory substitution device, blind participants outperform sighted controls not only in a virtual navigation task but also during effective navigation within a human-sized obstacle course.
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Chebat, D.-R., Schneider, F. C., Kupers, R., & Ptito, M.
- Affiliations
- Université de Montréal (CA)
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod (FR)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Hvidovre Hospital (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Kupers, Ron
- Venue
- Neuroreport
- Published
- 2011-05-11
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 342-347
- ISSN
- 0959-4965 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1994227203
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 5.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroreport (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Keywords
- sensory substitution devices, congenital blindness, obstacle detection, obstacle avoidance, navigation, tactile perception, visual impairment, obstacle size, avoidance strategies
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Blindness, Electric Stimulation, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Orientation, Psychomotor Performance, Space Perception, Touch Perception
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