Influence of Delays and Cognitive Distractors During Blind Navigation

Abstract

Navigating to a previously seen target without vision was unaffected by a 30-sec delay period at the beginning of the walking task. This study investigated whether a 60-sec delay, with or without a cognitive task, would modify the accuracy of reaching an 8-meter target. Thirty young adults participated. The delay, located at 0, 4, or 7 meters, was either to wait, or to count backwards. Kinematic data of distance travelled, distance-to-target, angular deviation, and body rotation from participants’ final position were recorded with a 3-D motion analysis system. Navigation precision was not significantly different with or without a delay, and whether or not the delays contained a cognitive task. However, comparisons among delays revealed a significant effect of delay position with larger distance errors occurring at the 0-meter delay in the 16 participants who walked at least 7 meters, suggesting that a delay at the beginning was more disruptive for navigation accuracy than when it occurred closer to the target.