**Preface to "Multi-Sensory Interaction for Blind and Visually Impaired People"**

Multi-sensory integration is an essential part of information processing, by which various forms of sensory information such as sight, hearing, and touch are combined into a single experience. Information is typically integrated across sensory modalities when the sensory inputs share certain common features. Though many studies introduce the use of other modalities of sensation, such as haptic, sound, and scent, for the user interface to act as a supplement for the absence of vision, they are still not close to what vision is to the people. Contemporary art has also been influenced by this trend, and the number of artists interested in creating novel multi-sensory works of art has increased substantially. As a result, the opportunities for visually impaired people to experience artworks in different ways are also expanding. Despite all of this, the research focusing on multimodal systems for experiencing visual arts is not extensive, and user tests comparing different modalities and senses, particularly in the field of art, are insufficient.

"Starry Night" is a masterpiece by Vincent van Gogh, the master of post-Impressionist art, depicting a beautiful night scene. Van Gogh's night sky, drawn by tracing memories of the past, is filled with 11 large and small stars, adding to the sense of mystery. We can meet a slightly different "Starry Night". It is a three-dimensional picture with embossing added using 3D printing. When touched, a sound effect is produced. Small stars make small sounds and big stars make loud sounds, completing a rich three-dimensional effect. It has been implemented so that even the visually impaired can enjoy "Starry Night" vividly. It has a different meaning because it allows the general public to experience a multifaceted art experience that allows them to appreciate works using their senses of sight, touch, smell, and hearing.

We often see color as a concept. Color is expressed through various sensory organs such as scent, sound, temperature, and touch. This book will be dedicated to introducing a set of assistive Internet of Things (IoT) tools with multisensory information to help visually impaired people appreciate works of art. These tools are used to represent visual elements (form, distance, location, and color) by applying touch, sound, and smell. These research results are convergence studies of art, science, technology, and the humanities that include various academic fields such as human–computer interface technology, electronic engineering, media art, and sound design technology.

This book conveyed the visual elements of artwork to the visually impaired through various sensory elements to open a new perspective for appreciating visual artwork. In addition, the technique of expressing a color code by integrating patterns, temperatures, scents, music, and vibrations was explored, and future research topics were presented. A holistic experience using multi-sensory interaction acquired by people with visual impairment was provided to convey the meaning and contents of the work through rich multi-sensory appreciation. A method that allows people with visual impairments to engage in artwork using a variety of senses, including touch, temperature, tactile pattern, and sound, helps them to appreciate artwork on a deeper level than can be achieved with hearing or touch alone. The development of such art appreciation aids for the visually impaired will ultimately improve their cultural enjoyment and strengthen their access to culture and the arts. The development of this new concept ultimately expands opportunities for the non-visually impaired as well as the visually impaired to enjoy works of art and breaks down the boundaries between the disabled and the non-disabled in the field of culture and arts through continuous efforts to enhance accessibility. In addition, the developed multi-sensory expression and

delivery tool can be used as an educational tool to increase product and artwork accessibility and usability through multi-modal interaction. Training the multi-sensory experiences introduced in this book may lead to more vivid visual imageries or seeing with the mind's eye.

First of all, I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the authors who, through their serious and noble research, have made this book bright. Additionally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the editors and reviewers who reviewed the papers. Without their precious time and effort, this book would not have existed.

> **Jun Dong Cho** *Editor*
