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2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

A study on effects of two-dimensional mental-maps for visually handicapped pedestrians.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 10450210
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Architectural environment/equipment
Research InstitutionYokohama National University

Principal Investigator

TAMURA Akihiro  Yokohama National University, Faculty of Engineering, Professor, 工学部, 教授 (50017977)

Project Period (FY) 1998 – 2000
Keywordsvisually handicapped / mental-maps / auditory information / the will to go out / orienteering / portable tactile maps / strolling in a sightseeing area
Research Abstract

The researchers reported in past researches that two-dimensional mental-maps was effective for visually handicapped pedestrians, and that environmental-makings to assist the formation of two-dimensional mental-maps and training programs for visually handicapped pedestrians were important.
Following this, in 1998, the researchers studied about the characteristics of visually handicapped pedestrians' spatial cognition using auditory information, to investigate how the sound environment should be for visually handicapped pedestrians. The experimenters reproduced 20 sound environments in anechoic chamber, and the subjects (5 visually handicapped and 5 non-handicapped people) imagined what space it was. From the result, it was confirmed that traffic sounds greatly contributed to the cognition of the road composition, and that the sound providing greatly different image from the place, such as heavy vehicle sounds in a residential area, makes the spatial cognition difficult.
In 1999, the train … More ing program for visually handicapped pedestrians (orienteering) was proposed, for the purpose of giving the will to go out to the visually handicapped who are passive to go out, and providing them a training to have two-dimensional image of the surroundings. From the result of evaluation experiments of this program, it was confirmed that walking independently with portable tactile maps was effective for the composition of two-dimensional mental-map. However, the recreation was not obtained enough, and some participants reported psychological loads of fear and anxiety.
In 2000, the support and training for visually handicapped pedestrians were attempted through the recreation. The participants strolled in a sightseeing area with portable tactile maps. All participants reported the effectiveness of tactile maps, which make it easy to have two-dimensional mental-maps, and to consult with other people about destinations etc. Moreover, it was pointed out as a problem in the future that how the information which cannot be put on tactile maps, name of shop etc., should be offered. Less

  • Research Products

    (5 results)

All Other

All Publications (5 results)

  • [Publications] 太田篤史,田村明弘 他2名: "視覚障害者のオリエンテーリング-外出歩行能力の向上を目的とした支援プログラム-"日本建築学会技術報告集. 12. 189-192 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Atsushi OTA: "Finding the Way-Training program for the visually handicapped-"Proceedings of Second International Seminaron. 2. 21-25 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 太田篤史,田村明弘 他2名: "視覚障害者の聴覚による空間認知"日本騒音制御工学会技術発表会講演論文集. 9-12 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Atsushi OTA, Akihiro TAMURA, etc.: "The Orienteering for the Visually Handicapped"AIJ J.Technol.. No.12. 189-192 (2001)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Atsushi OTA: "Finding the Way-Training Program for the Visually Handicapped-"Proceeding of Second International Seminar on Environment and Architecture. No.2. 21-25 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

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Published: 2002-03-26  

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