Designing Unobtrusive Modulated Electrotactile Feedback on Fingertip Edge to Assist Blind and Low Vision (BLV) People in Comprehending Charts

Abstract

Charts are crucial in conveying information across various fields but are inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) people without assistive technology. Chart comprehension tools leveraging haptic feedback have been used widely but are often bulky, expensive, and static, rendering them inefficient for conveying chart data. To increase device portability, enable multitasking, and provide efficient assistance in chart comprehension, we introduce a novel system that delivers unobtrusive modulated electrotactile feedback directly to the fingertip edge. Our three-part study with twelve participants confirmed the effectiveness of this system, demonstrating that electrotactile feedback, when applied for 0.5 seconds with a 0.12-second interval, provides the most accurate position and direction recognition. Furthermore, our electrotactile device has proven valuable in assisting BLV participants in comprehending four commonly used charts, line charts, scatterplots, bar charts, and pie charts. We also delve into the implications of our findings on recognition enhancement, presentation modes, and function synergy.