Advanced Navigation Assistance Aids for the Visually Impaired and Blind Persons

Finding ones way to a known or unknown destination, navigating complex routes and buildings, finding inanimate points of interest and pathways; these are all tasks that can be challenging for the persons with visual impairment or blindness. The research project presented in this article is directed towards increasing the autonomy of visually impaired (VI) persons in exterior and interior, large scale and small scale, known and unknown environments. It is done through a combination of navigation assistance systems. These navigation aids are designed using magnetism and electromagnetism based walking trails; Visible Light Communication (VLC) based indoor position data acquisition; tactile, voice and Braille interfaces based walking cane for the navigation guidance. This article presents the overall navigation portfolio for all the prototypes that are designed for the outdoor and indoor navigation assistance. These new types of navigation and assistance aids are developed through participative design with potential VI users and educators for the VI persons. In addition, this article reports a comprehensive complementary qualitative study designed to investigate acceptance of advanced technological navigation assistance aids by the VI persons.

[1]  Michel Denis,et al.  NAVIG: augmented reality guidance system for the visually impaired , 2012, Virtual Reality.

[2]  Rui Valadas,et al.  Reducing the effects of artificial light interference in wireless infrared transmission systems , 1996 .

[3]  R. Downs,et al.  Maps in minds : reflections on cognitive mapping , 1978 .

[4]  Shinichiro Haruyama,et al.  Indoor navigation system for visually impaired people using visible light communication and compensated geomagnetic sensing , 2012, 2012 1st IEEE International Conference on Communications in China (ICCC).

[5]  Johan Hjelm,et al.  Local Positioning Systems: LBS Applications and Services , 2006 .

[6]  Łukasz Kamiński,et al.  Mobile Navigation System for Visually Impaired Users in the Urban Environment , 2012 .

[7]  Gaetano Borriello,et al.  Location Systems for Ubiquitous Computing , 2001, Computer.

[8]  Deborah Estrin,et al.  GPS-less low-cost outdoor localization for very small devices , 2000, IEEE Wirel. Commun..

[9]  S. Arnon,et al.  Short-Range Optical Wireless Communications , 2005 .

[10]  Michael D. Myers,et al.  The qualitative interview in IS research: Examining the craft , 2007, Inf. Organ..

[11]  Bernard Oriola,et al.  NAVIG: Guidance system for the visually impaired using virtual augmented reality , 2012 .

[12]  Sudarshan S. Chawathe.  Low-latency indoor localization using bluetooth beacons , 2009, 2009 12th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

[13]  Kumar Yelamarthi,et al.  RFID and GPS integrated navigation system for the visually impaired , 2010, 2010 53rd IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems.

[14]  Abdelsalam Helal,et al.  Drishti: an integrated indoor/outdoor blind navigation system and service , 2004, Second IEEE Annual Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications, 2004. Proceedings of the.

[15]  Dominic C. O'Brien,et al.  Wireless Myths, Realities, and Futures: From 3G/4G to Optical and Quantum Wireless , 2012, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[16]  Al Williams.  Microcontroller Projects Using the Basic Stamp , 2002 .

[17]  Karin Baier.  Gps Made Easy Using Global Positioning Systems In The Outdoors , 2016 .

[18]  N. A. Bradley,et al.  Assistive Technology For Visually Impaired And Blind People , 2008 .

[19]  Diane P. Wormsley,et al.  Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy , 1997 .

[20]  Yoji Akao,et al.  Quality Function Deployment : Integrating Customer Requirements into Product Design , 1990 .