Even if their spatial reasoning capabilities remain quite similar to those of sighted people, blind people encounter difficulties in\ngetting distant information from their surroundings. Thus, whole body displacements, tactile map consultations, or auditory solutions\nare needed to establish physical contacts with their environment. Therefore, the accuracy of nonvisual spatial representations\nheavily relies upon the efficiency of exploration strategies and the ability to coordinate egocentric and allocentric spatial frames\nof reference. This study aims to better understand the mechanisms of this coordination without vision by analyzing cartographic\nexploration strategies and assessing their influence on mental spatial representations. Six blind sailors were immersed within a\nvirtual haptic and auditory maritime environment. They were required to learn the layout of the map. Their movements were\nrecorded and we identified some exploration strategies. Then they had to estimate the directions of six particular seamarks in\naligned and misaligned situations. Better accuracy and coordination were obtained when participants used the ââ?¬Å?central point of\nreferenceââ?¬Â strategy. Our discussion relative to the articulation between geometric enduring representations and salient transient\nperceptions provides implications on map reading techniques and on mobility and orientation programs for blind people.
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