  In this study, we design and develop HaptStarter -- a haptic stimulus start
system -- to improve the starting performance of the deaf and hard of hearing
(DHH) sprinters. A DHH person has a physical ability nearly equivalent to
hearing; however, the difficulties in perceiving audio information lead to
differences in their performance in sports.
  Furthermore, the visual reaction time is slower than the auditory reaction
time (ART), while the haptic reaction time is equivalent to it.
  However, a light stimulus start system is increasingly being used in sprint
races to aid DHH sprinters. In this study, we design a brand-new haptic
stimulus start system for DHH sprinters; we also determine and leverage an
optimum haptic stimulus interface. The proposed method has the potential to
contribute toward the development of prototypes based on the universal design
principle for everyone (DHH, blind and low-vision, and other disabled sprinters
with wheelchairs or artificial arms or legs, etc.) by focusing on the
overlapping area of sports and disability with human-computer interaction.
