Sensory Substitution Technology
Contents
Introduction
Sensory substitution technology is a growing field of research that aims to compensate for the loss or impairment of one sense, with heightened signals being sent to another. This could take the form of devices converting visual signals to auditory cues or auditory signals to tactile patterns. There are a variety of ethical concerns that have arisen due to widespread use of these technologies, including those relating to accessibility, data privacy, effectiveness, and regulation.
History
The field of sensory substitution can be traced back to American neuroscientist and University of Wisconsin professor Paul Bach-y Rita, who viewed brain plasticity as a basis for sensory substitution. Rita cites the mechanisms of brain plasticity, including neurochemical, endplate, receptor, and neuronal structural changes, are what give way for sensory substitution to be possible. Early examples of sensory substitution devices (SSDs) include Braille and Canes, both of which provide tactile information to compensate for vision impairment. The advancement of technology has increased the capabilities of sensory substitution devices, allowing for improved quality and suitability for daily use.
Substitution Technologies
Visual Substitution
Visual to Auditory Web browser extensions: Audio eye Accessibe UserWay
Softwares NavCog Alt Text
Physical Devices Smart glasses: Pivothead, Aira vOICe
Visual to Tactile https://www.radiolab.org/episodes/seeing-tongues https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/nyregion/22about.html https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/15/seeing-with-your-tongue https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4026734/ http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Tactile_Substitution_for_Vision#:~:text=Yael%20Zilbershtain%2D%20Kra%20et%20al,%2C%2010(4)%3A32457.&text=Sensory%20Substitution%20(SenSub)%20is%20an,e.g.%2C%20touch%20or%20audition). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/sensory-substitution
Auditory Substitution
Auditory to Visual
Auditory to Tactile