Exploring Aural and Haptic Feedback for Visually Impaired People on a Track: A Wizard of Oz Study

Access to a variety of exercises is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This variety includes physical activity in public spaces. A 400-meter jogging track is not accessible because it provides solely visual cues for people to remain in their lane. As a first step toward making exercise spaces accessible, we conducted an ecologically valid Wizard of Oz study to compare the accuracy and user experience of human guide, verbal, wrist vibration, and head beat feedback while people walked around the track. The technology conditions did not affect accuracy, but the order of preference was human guide, verbal, wrist vibration, and head beat. Participants had a difficult time perceiving vibrations when holding their cane or guide dog, and lower frequency sounds made it difficult to focus on their existing navigation strategies.