Communication through Movement Codes and Tactile Stimuli for Persons with Deafblindness
Deafblindness is the condition in which a person has little or no useful hearing and vision. The dysfunction in both senses can occur in different ways and degrees for each person. These differences impose specific barriers and strategies for the rehabilitation of this public, regarding protocols and assistive devices. Most of the technologies and procedures are geared towards a better adaptation of communication. Inspired by sign languages and Braille, we propose the construction of a device capable of transducing specific hand movements of an individual (emitter), into specific vibration patterns on the body of another individual (receiver). Through this device it is possible to adjust different stimulation parameters, based on the modulation of amplitude, frequency of vibration and temporal sequence of pulses, making possible enabling a sensory refinement of wrist and finger's movements, in order to have an improvement associated with the alphabet intended to be represented. This prototype allows communication through crossing-modalities (movement and touch) without the need of visual contact or auditory perception, enabling a future application for deaf-blind people.