Development of Tactile Map Automated Creation System and Its Utilization

Abstract

We elaborate on three topics of “tactile maps” for blind and visually impaired people that we have been working on since 2008. The first topic is the development of a tactile map automated creation system. This system can instantly create tactile maps of any location, enabling us to meet the individual needs of blind and visually impaired people. The second topic is the tactile map creation service and the tactile map creating workshop that utilize this system. In this service and workshop, we create tactile maps tailored to individual needs. These are the first of their kinds in Japan and remain the only ones available today. The third topic is the introduction of 3D printers for creating tactile maps. 3D-printed tactile maps enable volumetric representation which can be understood intuitively by the users, thereby enhancing their effectiveness. On the other hand, 3D printing requires quite longer times than conventional 2D paper-based tactile maps. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately choose 2D or 3D tactile maps depending on the intended use and production number.