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How much spatial information is lost in the sensory substitution process? Comparing visual, tactile, and auditory approaches

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posted on 2023-06-09, 18:41 authored by Michael Richardson, Jan Thar, James Alvarez, Jan Borchers, Jamie WardJamie Ward, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher
Sensory substitution devices (SSDs) can convey visuospatial information through spatialised auditory or tactile stimulation using wearable technology. However, the level of information loss associated with this transformation is unknown. In this study novice users discriminated the location of two objects at 1.2m using devices that transformed a 16?x 8 depth map into spatially distributed patterns of light, sound, or touch on the abdomen. Results showed that through active sensing, participants could discriminate the vertical position of objects to a visual angle of 1°, 14°, and 21°, and their distance to 2cm, 8cm, and 29cm using these visual, auditory, and haptic SSDs respectively. Visual SSDs significantly outperformed auditory and tactile SSDs on vertical localisation, whereas for depth perception, all devices significantly differed from one another (visual > auditory > haptic). Our findings highlight the high level of acuity possible for SSDs even with low spatial resolutions (e.g. 16 ? 8) and quantify the level of information loss attributable to this transformation for the SSD user. Finally, we discuss ways of closing this ‘modality gap’ found in SSDs and conclude that this process is best benchmarked against performance with SSDs that return to their primary modality (e.g. visuospatial into visual).

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Perception

ISSN

0301-0066

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Volume

48

Page range

1079-1103

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-08-20

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-08-20

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-08-19

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