Digital Twin Smart Educational Platform for Visually Impaired Navigation Training

NCT07641127 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: KSRG-2026-053-3KSRG-2026-053
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study evaluates a novel digital twin smart educational platform designed to train visually impaired individuals on safe navigation in Saudi urban environments. Independent mobility is challenging for visually impaired people due to dynamic hazards and architectural changes. This interventional study utilizes an advanced computer simulation (digital twin) modeled after real streets in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants are randomly assigned to either the experimental group (receiving training via the adaptive digital twin platform with 3D spatial audio and wearable haptic feedback) or the control group (receiving traditional orientation and mobility instruction). The training consists of 10 structured sessions over 5 weeks. The primary goal is to determine…

Conditions

Visual Impairment

Keywords

Digital Twin; Orientation and Mobility; Haptic Feedback; Assistive Technology; Spatial Audio; Adaptive Learning

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Real-world Collision Rate (RCR)

  The cumulative number of physical obstacle impacts or structural contact errors recorded per 100 meters during the final real-world post-test field navigation trial.

  At the completion of the 10-session training curriculum (Week 5).

Study Arms (2)

Experimental: AMRLE Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this group will undergo orientation and mobility (O\&M) training within the Adaptive Multi-modal Reality Learning Environment (AMRLE) powered by a dynamic Digital Twin simulation engine. Over a 5-week curriculum comprising 10 structured sessions (25 minutes per session), trainees interact with virtual replicas of real-world Saudi urban layouts. The system delivers non-visual feedback using low-latency 3D spatial binaural audio and localized directional haptic/vibrotactile device telemetry. An AI-driven optimization model automatically scales environmental complexity and obstacle generation based on real-time participant performance loops.

Behavioral: Adaptive Multi-modal Digital Twin Navigation Training

Active Control: Conventional O&M Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this control group will undergo standard, conventional orientation and mobility (O\&M) rehabilitation instructions. Over a 5-week period consisting of 10 structured training sessions (25 minutes per session), trainees practice navigation along fixed real-world paths using traditional white canes. The instruction relies entirely on conventional tactile maps, physical paving cues, and static verbal orientation scripts provided by an O\&M instructor. No virtual reality simulators, adaptive AI algorithms, or high-fidelity digital twin interventions are utilized.

Behavioral: Adaptive Multi-modal Digital Twin Navigation Training

Interventions

Adaptive Multi-modal Digital Twin Navigation Training BEHAVIORAL

A structured 10-session orientation and mobility (O\&M) curriculum distributed over 5 weeks (2 sessions/week, 25 minutes/session). The intervention leverages a dynamic digital twin simulation engine of Saudi urban spaces to proactively train visually impaired users on hazard mitigation. Trainees navigate via non-visual multi-modal feedback loops: 3D spatialized binaural audio (HRTF) pings indicating structural pathways, combined with directional haptic/vibrotactile vest telemetry for real-time proximity boundaries. An AI optimization model continuously adjusts environmental complexity and obstacle generation (static, semi-dynamic, and crowded scenarios) matching the real-time collision metrics of the participant to prevent learning plateaus and optimize cognitive mapping.

Active Control: Conventional O&M Group; Experimental: AMRLE Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Certified clinical diagnosis of severe visual impairment or legal blindness.
• Aged between 18 and 60 years old.
• Physical ability to walk independently and unassisted for at least 15 continuous minutes.
• Cognitive and neurological competence to comprehend and interact with multi-modal software telemetry.
• Baseline proficiency in using accessibility screen-reader features on mobile devices.

You may not qualify if:

• Profound sensorineural hearing loss or auditory dysfunction that prevents 3D spatial binaural sound localization.
• Active upper or lower-limb motor neuropathies that disrupt the perception of haptic micro-actuator vibrations.
• History of severe vestibular disorders, severe motion sickness, or inner ear syndromes causing chronic dizziness.
• Current participation in concurrent physical orientation and mobility clinical trials.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King Salman Center for Disability Research: lead

Study Sites (1)

Special Education Resource Rooms

Cairo, Egypt

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Vision Disorders; Orientation, Spatial

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sensation Disorders; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Eye Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Spatial Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: King Salman Center for Disability Research

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 4, 2026
• First Posted: June 11, 2026
• Study Start: January 7, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 29, 2026
• Study Completion: May 19, 2026
• Last Updated: June 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

EG (1)