Play and Body
How do blind people get around? (The Chicago Lighthouse, https://chicagolighthouse.org/sandys-view/getting-around/) Visually impaired people memorise where things are.
It has been over a month imprisoned in the house due to the lockdown. Once, I had to go out to grab some groceries, it felt as if I was new to the place, as if I was lost and did not have any recollection of where the things were. I bumped into a visually impaired man in the store, he was by himself, buying some groceries. That got me thinking about the blind people, how do they navigate around the space and do they also feel new to the places they haven't been to in a long time.
Sound provides information about our environment that is vital for spatial navigation (Herssens, 2011). But, due to the lockdown, there aren't many things happening that might serve as the stimuli for the visually impaired people. Most of the time, the streets are empty, machines are shut off. Would it be even difficult for blind people to navigate during these circumstances?
Also, in computer programming, basic commands are used to move (transform) the object a specific number of steps. I think it is because the computer does not have a sensor (eyes) that sends data to the neural core which then generates the stimuli for the entire functioning body. Everything is a form of calculations for the computer, without it, the computer is blind and cannot perform any functions.
I tried to combine these two concepts, navigation for a blind person and programming in computers, to create a real-life walking simulator. Simple navigation game from point A to point B.
I set out basic rules for the game.
Rules:
1) Eyes closed/blindfolded: The player's eyes must be closed or blindfolded to prevent any temptations to look.
2) No hands: The player cannot use their hands while navigating through space, touching the surfaces around the player is considered cheating.
3) Stay on the path: The player must not cross the borderlines set out before starting the game.
4) No noise/sound: The game should be played as much silently as possible. I was able to tell that I was close to the fridge when I heard the noise coming from it. However, in a way, the noise can also serve as guides to make the game less difficult. For example, clapping can be used to warn the player if they are going in the wrong direction.
5) Obstacles: There will be obstacles placed onto the path without the player knowing. If the player touches these objects, game over. Then the player is required to restart, go back to the spawn point, start over. This time, they can remember the steps so that they would know where they hit the obstacle and the position of the obstacle should not be changed otherwise the game would be unplayable.
Hint: The player should memorise each step and in the direction taken. When turning, to calculate the angle, simply rest the heel on the floor and rotate the foot in the desired angle (eg. 90 degrees). Count the steps each time changing the direction to easily memorise them.
At first, we thought the game would not be that much fun. But, as we progressed, the tension built up and it became interesting. We were easily mistaken by the difficulty of navigating the space without any visual feedback. We were then more focused on reaching the destination.
To further improve the game and increase the difficulty, I thought of limiting the moves/steps, say only 10 steps are allowed. And, using 'loops' as a sort of hack to configure the steps. For example, [loop; forward 1, forward 1, rotate right 90 degrees].
I think this exercise matches with the aspects of Play and Body. In order to navigate, you need to walk around, keep the balance while walking because, with the blindfold, it becomes difficult to stay upright. On the other hand, the game plays with the idea of walking, which is often neglected by those who are not visually impaired or blind. It is surprising to know how much we rely on these subconscious feedbacks. Humans have 5 main senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste. How would a person be if they lost any one of the senses?
References
Herssens, J. (2011). Listening in the Absence of Sight: The Sound of Inclusive Environments.
By Umang Jadav
Email Umang Jadav
Published On: 28/04/2020