Modeling of blind players between voice guides and their actions in adaptive sports for the blind

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K11544
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: Tsukuba University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kobayashi Makoto 筑波技術大学, 保健科学部, 教授 (60291853)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 視覚障害者スポーツ / 触覚ディスプレイ / 点図ディスプレイ / フロアバレーボール / モルック

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Observations cleared that voice indications used in the floor-volleyball have some features such as using the number of steps to express distances. However, the corona disaster made it difficult to conduct group sports. Therefore, the main research purpose was shifted to the development of a device to understand motions of players. This is based of the real needs of blind players.
During the research period, two types of display device was developed. One of them uses refreshable tactile pins and another one is an arm model type device. As contents for these display devices, the floor volleyball serving motion and the Molkky throwing motion were measured. As a result, the unique motions of congenitally blind players, such as quick backswing or underhand throwing with fixed elbow were observed. Using the arm-shaped model, three visually impaired estimetors evaluated that they could clearly distinguish the difference of motions by the congenitally blind player and sighted player.

Free Research Field

福祉工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

先天的な重度の視覚障害者は、見て真似ることが困難なため、他者とは異なる独特なスポーツ動作を行うことがある。本研究で開発したデバイスは、当事者が自身の動きを触知的に認識することを手助けする。これにより音声指示を受けた後の動作が他者と比較してどの程度異なるのか、もしくは同じなのかを理解することが可能になる。動作の差異は周囲の晴眼者らから指摘しにくいこともあるため、当事者自身が理解できるデバイスは社会的に意義のある支援機器だと思われる。