Zoom Remote Experiment for Practical Development of Sightseeing Verbal Maps

Abstract

The authors have been conducting research on the application of "verbal maps" that replace visual information with auditory information. In recent years, we have been trying to create a " Sightseeing Verbal Maps " for visually impaired people to enjoy walking to improve their quality of life (QOL). This time, we chose Itami Sky Park and the approach to Kiyomizu Temple Road as the target areas, and we created a map of sightseeing spots by incorporating guideposts, environmental sounds, and sound effects that are closer to reality and motivate people to go out. In addition, due to the influence of the Corona disaster, virtual walking experiments and interviews for the visually impaired, which had been conducted in the laboratory, were conducted online using the teleconference tool Zoom. Through the interviews, we were able to improve the word map, clarify useful environmental sounds and sound effects, and examine the feasibility of the online environment.