Modeling Environments for use in a Locomotion Assistance Device for the Blind

The study presented in this paper aims at designing a locomotion assistance device that can deliver semantic information about its surrounding environment at any time. The device will be based on the Teletact, a laser telemeter that currently helps blind people feel obstacles at distance. To this end, we first introduce an original model suited for the description of building structure. Then, we explain how it is possible to link semantics to structure. Finally, we expose some research directions for user positioning and interface design.