Development of Virtual-reality Tactile Educational Tool for Visually Impaired Children (Haptic Device to Trace Contour)

In education for the visually impaired, tactile perception education, which uses tactile sensation to learn, for example, shapes, has become an important means of education.Tactile perception education uses tactile sensation information to form images of objects that differ from person to person, and the form must be expressed through linguistic information.However, there are problems such as the cost and space needed for the storage of teaching materials, as well as the difficulty of teaching dynamic information.In this study, tactile perception education using virtual reality (VR) as a solution to these problems is proposed.By using virtual objects in VR space as teaching materials for tactile perception education, the problems caused by using real objects can be solved, and a more flexible and wide-ranging education can be possible.The purpose of this study is to construct a VR system that can be used in education for the visually impaired with devices that enable the tactile perception of the contours of dynamic virtual objects, which is necessary in tactile perception education.