Walking Environments for the Visually Handicapped: Recognition of Geometric Model Spaces in a Laboratory

Abstract

In daily life it is not safe for visually handicapped people to walk alone as they can often fall victim to accidents or lose their way. In order to improve walking environments, it is important to show clearly how visually handicapped people recognize spaces and their position in spaces, and what the clues to recognition are.
In this study, in order to clarify the relation between spatial cognition and space form, and the characteristics of search behavior, experiments are carried out using model spaces based on specific geometric plan. The behavior is analyzed with the aid of a walking locus and observation; and the spatial cognition, by sketch map and interview.