EFFICACY OF THE TOUCH TECHNIQUE FOR SURFACE AND FOOT-PLACEMENT PREVIEW

Seven orientation and mobility specialists were videotaped simultaneou sly on three stationary cameras while traveling with long canes. The c ameras were calibrated to allow for the exact determination of the rel ative position of the various body and cane parts as the travelers pas sed through the coordinated focal point. Input from the videotapes was digitized and entered on a computer to provide continuous traces of m ovement. A visual analysis of the traces indicated that the cane tip c onsistently touched outside the foot (and therefore did not provide fo ot-placement preview) and that surface preview was inconsistent.