Version 1
: Received: 30 June 2023 / Approved: 3 July 2023 / Online: 4 July 2023 (08:50:11 CEST)
How to cite:
Barros, G.; Correia, W.; Da Gama, A.; Teixeira, J. All That Glitters Is Not Gold: 3D-Printed Tactile Image Configurations for Better Visually Impaired People’s Perception. Preprints2023, 2023070054. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0054.v1
Barros, G.; Correia, W.; Da Gama, A.; Teixeira, J. All That Glitters Is Not Gold: 3D-Printed Tactile Image Configurations for Better Visually Impaired People’s Perception. Preprints 2023, 2023070054. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0054.v1
Barros, G.; Correia, W.; Da Gama, A.; Teixeira, J. All That Glitters Is Not Gold: 3D-Printed Tactile Image Configurations for Better Visually Impaired People’s Perception. Preprints2023, 2023070054. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0054.v1
APA Style
Barros, G., Correia, W., Da Gama, A., & Teixeira, J. (2023). All That Glitters Is Not Gold: 3D-Printed Tactile Image Configurations for Better Visually Impaired People’s Perception. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0054.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Barros, G., Alana Da Gama and João Teixeira. 2023 "All That Glitters Is Not Gold: 3D-Printed Tactile Image Configurations for Better Visually Impaired People’s Perception" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0054.v1
Abstract
This research focused on the perception of visually impaired individuals regarding tactile image creation using 3D printing. We developed and applied an experiment with 28 participants with visual impairments. They performed tasks based on skills whose foundations are needed and used in their daily lives, such as scanning, tactile discrimination, picture and spatial comprehension. The tactile images used in this study were developed by additive manufacturing and printed over 180 g/m² sulphite paper. The best performances were obtained when (1) the tactile image contour line heights were between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm; and (2) the texture presented densities between 10% and 50%, when alone, or between 10% and 90%, when combined with another texture. The tested line widths (0.8 mm and 1.2 mm) did not present statistically significant differences in the results. Vision status (low vision or blindness) and moment of vision loss (congenital or late blind) did not influence the results. Schooling affected the activities of identifying objects and locating their copies. In the Conclusion section, there is a detailed recommendation list for the production and application of tactile materials, which range from simplifying forms to encouraging the use of both hands during content assimilation.
Keywords
Tactile images; 3D printing; Additive manufacturing; Accessibility; Visually impaired people
Subject
Chemistry and Materials Science, Polymers and Plastics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
