Abstract

Recent literature provides initial evidence that sound can be used for cognitive development purposes in blind children. In this paper, we present the design, development, and usability testing of AudioBattleShip, a sound-based interactive environment for blind children. AudioBattleShip is an interactive version of the board Battleship game, providing different interfaces for both sighted and blind people. The interface is based on spatialized sound as a way of navigating and exploring through the environment. The application was developed upon a framework that supports the development of distributed heterogeneous applications by synchronizing only certain common objects, thus allowing an easy development of interactive applications with very different interfaces. Usability testing of AudioBattleShip for cognitive development in blind children provided evidence that the game can help to develop and rehearse abstract memory through spatial reference, spatial abstraction through concrete representations, haptic perception through constructing mental images of the virtual space, and cognitive integration of both spatial and haptic references. Copyright © Freund Publishing House Limited.