{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T15:34:15Z","timestamp":1776094455138,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,4,20]],"date-time":"2019-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1555718400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MTI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Exploring geographic maps on touchscreens is a difficult task in the absence of vision as those devices miss tactile cues. Prior research has therefore introduced non-visual interaction techniques designed to allow visually impaired people to explore spatial configurations on tactile devices. In this paper, we present a study in which six blind and six blindfolded sighted participants evaluated three of those interaction techniques compared to a screen reader condition. We observed that techniques providing guidance result in a higher user satisfaction and more efficient exploration. Adding a grid-like structure improved the estimation of distances. None of the interaction techniques improved the reconstruction of the spatial configurations. The results of this study allow improving the design of non-visual interaction techniques that support a better exploration and memorization of maps in the absence of vision.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mti3020027","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,4,22]],"date-time":"2019-04-22T11:02:53Z","timestamp":1555930973000},"page":"27","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Comparing Interaction Techniques to Help Blind People Explore Maps on Small Tactile Devices"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"3","author":[{"given":"Mathieu","family":"Simonnet","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"IMT Atlantique, LEGO, 29238 Brest, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anke M.","family":"Brock","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ENAC, Universit\u00e9 Toulouse, 31055 Toulouse, France"},{"name":"Inria Bordeaux, 33405 Talence, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Serpa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNRS, IRIT, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"},{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Toulouse 3, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bernard","family":"Oriola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNRS, IRIT, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"},{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Toulouse 3, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0768-1019","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christophe","family":"Jouffrais","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNRS, IRIT, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"},{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Toulouse 3, 31062 Toulouse CEDEX 9, France"},{"name":"CNRS, IPAL, UMI5925, 138632 Singapore, Singapore"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,4,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2018). 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