What is tactile vision sensory substitution?
Olivia Shea
Updated on March 01, 2026
Touch-to-visual sensory substitution transfers information from touch receptors to the visual cortex for interpretation and perception. In blind persons, it is seen that while they are only receiving tactile information, their visual cortex is also activated as they perceive sight objects.
What are sensory substitution devices?
Sensory substitution (SS) devices (e.g., vOICe) can assist the blind by encoding a video stream into a sound pattern, recruiting visual brain areas for auditory analysis via crossmodal interactions and plasticity. SS devices often require extensive training to attain limited functionality.
Is a tactile vision substitution device for reading?
One form of noninvasive tactile vision substitution is a tongue display unit (TDU), which is a form of portable sensory substitution that uses tactile sensation to substitute for the absence visual sensation.
What is tactile vision?
[Nature 221 (1969)] several different technologies have been explored to construct devices which are able to provide blind subjects with a substitution for vision making use of their tactile perception. Such devices are called tactile vision substitution systems (TVSS).
What is sensory augmentation?
Sensory augmentation: integration of an auditory compass signal into human perception of space.
What are the tactile senses?
Tactile (touch) Tactile receptors identify the sensation of touch and are all over our bodies in our skin. Some areas of our skin have more tactile receptors than other areas e.g. mouth and hands. The tactile senses are important for identifying touch, pressure, pain, temperature and texture.
What is sensory addition?
This process is called sensory addition. In Eagleman’s project, it involves sending real-time data from the internet into the brain via the VEST device. His team is already training individuals to make informed decisions on the buying and selling of stocks by feeding stock market data into the VEST.
What is sense substitution?
the perception of a stimulus normally analyzed by one sense through the activity of another sense. Sensory substitution requires an active translation of stimulation between sensory systems, in contrast to synesthesia, which is an involuntary association of one sense with another or one sensory attribute with another.
How many tactile senses are there?
Humans have five basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. The sensing organs associated with each sense send information to the brain to help us understand and perceive the world around us. People also have other senses in addition to the basic five.
What is tactile stimulation?
Tactile sensory stimulation involves the sensation of touch and texture. Therapists work with tactile-sensitive individuals to desensitize them to unavoidable textures and touch sensations.
What is the difference between sensory substitution systems and visual prostheses?
In contrast to sensory substitution systems, the visual prostheses do not take advantage of the natural reorganization of the cortex of the blind since such invasive approaches attempt to stimulate the deficient sensory system directly.
What are the different types of sensory substitution devices for blindness?
There are two major classes of sensory substitution devices for blindness, based upon either tactile or auditory input. These are referred to as respectively tactile-to-vision sensory substitution (TVSS) and auditory-to-vision sensory substitution (AVSS) devices.
What is sensory substitution therapy and how does it work?
In sensory substitution therapy, a sensory modality is used to provide spatial information about the environment that cannot be appreciated by the compromised visual system.
What is vibrotactile communication?
Tactile communication systems based on vibrotactile signals have been developed as sensory substitution devices for those with visual, auditory, or vestibular impairments and to assist users in spatial orientation and navigation in unfamiliar environments.