<p>This paper examines the improvement of sound metaphors guiding the hand of people deprived of sight towards virtual 3D targets. The quality of the metaphors is compared by target reaching time and qualitative measures, but also by Fitts’ law’s <i>throughput</i>, a metric that can be generalized to other experimental parameters, improving the possibilities of comparison between studies. First, a unified metaphor that indicates deviation to the target with a single 3-D angle was compared with a metaphor that separates the horizontal angle (azimuth) and the vertical distance. This spatial dissociation of vertical and horizontal dimensions (DVH) enabled faster target acquisition. Based on these results, we hypothesized that providing one dimension deviation at a time (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="61" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{seq}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">seq</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, for sequentially) would show a similar advantage (both spatial and temporal dissociation) compared to providing them in parallel (<InlineEquation ID="IEq2"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq2.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="62" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{par}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">par</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>). Beforehand, we compared the most efficient sounds to express each dimension. The results showed better performance for a metaphor using binary vowels to indicate height and for a metaphor combining continuous coding of direction in pitch and binary stereo to indicate horizontal direction. Although <InlineEquation ID="IEq3"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq3.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="61" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{seq}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">seq</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> did not significantly reduce the target reach time compared to <InlineEquation ID="IEq4"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq4.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="62" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{par}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">par</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, the majority of participants preferred the simplicity of the metaphor <InlineEquation ID="IEq5"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq5.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="61" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{seq}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">seq</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, which guides one dimension at a time, a strategy largely adopted by participants. However, a minority managed to take advantage of the benefit of having all the information at the same time (<InlineEquation ID="IEq6"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="42979_2025_3877_Article_IEq6.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="62" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">$DVH_{par}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mi>D</mi> <mi>V</mi> <msub> <mi>H</mi> <mrow> <mi mathvariant="italic">par</mi> </mrow> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>) to move directly to the target.</p>

Dissociate Dimensions to Improve Sound Metaphors Guiding the Hand Towards 3D Non-visible Targets

期刊论文
发表日期：

2025年4月15日

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Coline Fons,
Sylvain Huet,
Denis Pellerin,
Christian Graff

摘要

This paper examines the improvement of sound metaphors guiding the hand of people deprived of sight towards virtual 3D targets. The quality of the metaphors is compared by target reaching time and qualitative measures, but also by Fitts’ law’s throughput, a metric that can be generalized to other experimental parameters, improving the possibilities of comparison between studies. First, a unified metaphor that indicates deviation to the target with a single 3-D angle was compared with a metaphor that separates the horizontal angle (azimuth) and the vertical distance. This spatial dissociation of vertical and horizontal dimensions (DVH) enabled faster target acquisition. Based on these results, we hypothesized that providing one dimension deviation at a time ( $DVH_{seq}$ $D V H_{seq}$ , for sequentially) would show a similar advantage (both spatial and temporal dissociation) compared to providing them in parallel ( $DVH_{par}$ $D V H_{par}$ ). Beforehand, we compared the most efficient sounds to express each dimension. The results showed better performance for a metaphor using binary vowels to indicate height and for a metaphor combining continuous coding of direction in pitch and binary stereo to indicate horizontal direction. Although $DVH_{seq}$ $D V H_{seq}$ did not significantly reduce the target reach time compared to $DVH_{par}$ $D V H_{par}$ , the majority of participants preferred the simplicity of the metaphor $DVH_{seq}$ $D V H_{seq}$ , which guides one dimension at a time, a strategy largely adopted by participants. However, a minority managed to take advantage of the benefit of having all the information at the same time ( $DVH_{par}$ $D V H_{par}$ ) to move directly to the target.