Development of auditory catch ball system for improvement of blind person QOL.

A virtual‐sound catch ball game system was developed to improve the quality of life of the visually impaired. Computer‐generated virtual sound balls were represented by stereo sounds, comprising localization parameters such as the interaural time and level differences, echo, and head‐related transfer function. Ball‐catching success was determined by images of the hand captured by a USB camera. Two sessions of experiments with blind subjects demonstrated the importance of distance recognition for human localization capability. Moreover, the addition of an echo parameter enhanced the sound‐source image position and sense of enjoyment. The results showed that a virtual sound game is a good active‐entertainment option for the visually impaired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]