Simulated Artificial Human Vision: The Effects of Spatial Resolution and Frame Rate on Mobility

摘要

Electrical stimulation of the human visual system can result in the perception of blobs of light, known as phosphenes. Artificial Human Vision (AHV or visual prosthesis) systems use this method to provide a visual substitute for the blind. This paper reports on our experiments involving normally sighted participants using a portable AHV simulation. A Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display is used to display the phosphene simulation. Custom software converts captured images from a head mounted USB camera to a DirectX based phosphene simulation. The effects of frame rate (1, 2 and 4 FPS) and phosphene spatial resolution (16×l2 and 32×24) on participant Percentage of Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS) and mobility errors were assessed during repeated trials on an artificial indoor mobility course. Results indicate that spatial resolution is a significant factor in reducing contact with obstacles and following a path without veering, however the phosphene display frame rate is a better predictor of a person's preferred walking speed. These findings support the development of an adaptive display which could provide a faster display with reduced spatial resolution when a person is walking comfortably and a slower display with higher resolution when a person has stopped moving.