Varanasi: Dactylology, a language of fingers, is a quicker and more efficient input technique, s compared to Braille, claims a study conducted by the joint research team of Banaras Hindu University, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) and Case Western Reserve University, United States. Assistant professor Dr Tushar Singh and a doctoral scholar Aishwarya Jaiswal of the department of Psychology of BHU were part of the research team. Dr Singh said that the first of its kind experiment was conducted to study the use of gesture-based human-computer technique Dactylology by visually impaired people to i interact with computers.
He said that the study showed that Dactylology could be a potential technique for the visually impaired to interact with the computer. The work, published in the reputed engineering journal IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, evaluated the relative significance of Dactylology over Braille- the established computer input technique for as compared to Braille.
As part of the study, researchers conducted an experiment wherein visually impaired participants were provided a 30-day training program on Dactylology posing and Braille typing techniques to interact with the computer. After the training, the effect of input technique (Dactylology and Braille) and task’s cognitive load (the amount of load that is incurred on the working memory of the user while performing a task) on the typing performance (Response Time and False Responses or Errors) of the participants was assessed. Results showed that participants reported significantly lower Response Time and committed fewer False Responses or Errors using Dactylology compared to Braille under all cognitive load conditions.
According to Dr Singh, the findings imply that participants found Dactylology to be a more convenient input technique and performed better using this technique as compared to Braille. Vision loss is the most serious sensory disability.
According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Vision Atlas, India has the largest population of visually impaired people in the world.
He said that in an era where computers have become an integral part of human lives, enabling visually impaired people to use computers more efficiently and effectively is the need of the hour. However, as giving instructions or commands and receiving feedback (Input-Output) from the computer involves visual presentation of information, visually impaired users find it difficult to interact with the computers. While Braille-based devices and other conventional techniques are available, they are not widely used and have limitations when entering computer data. The study suggests a way to empower visually impaired by contributing greatly in their education and employability, he added.
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