2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT AND THE SKILL OF SOUND LOCALIZATION AND ECHOLOCATION OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED
| Project/Area Number |
18300195
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
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| Research Institution | Okayama Prefectural University |
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Principal Investigator |
TAUCHI Masaki Okayama Prefectural University, 保健福祉学部, 教授 (00075425)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKAMURA Takabun 岡山県立大学, 保健福祉学部, 准教授 (70144061)
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| Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha) |
FUJII Atsunori 岡山県立大学, 保健福祉学部, 助教 (10364100)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2006 – 2009
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| Keywords | バリアフリー / 視覚障害 / 音源定位 |
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| Research Abstract |
In this study, we tried to develop the pointing method that is suitable and precise to measure sound localizability of the visually impaired, to show difference in sound localizability between sighted and visually impaired persons, and to find the effect of the degree of visual impairment on sound localizability. For pointing methods, we have found that the method directing body trunk of subjects sitting on the rotating chair and touching a large tactile protractor in which subjects situate at the center were more accurate pointing methods than face directing method employed widely. By using these methods, we compared sound localizability of the sighted with that of the visually impaired and found the latter was significantly higher. The effect of degree of impairment on sound localizability was explored by using two sound sources discrimination test. It appeared that the totally blind subjects showed the highest score of all, and they were followed by the sighted subjects. Low vision subjects showed the lowest score to localize sound
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