State of the art review on walking support system for visually impaired people

The technology for terrain detection and walking support system for blind people has rapidly been improved the last couple of decades but to assist visually impaired people may have started long ago. Currently, a variety of portable or wearable navigation system is available in the market to help the blind for navigating their way in his local or remote area. The focused category in this work can be subgroups as electronic travel aids (ETAs), electronic orientation aids (EOAs) and position locator devices (PLDs). However, we will focus mainly on electronic travel aids (ETAs). This paper presents a comparative survey among the various portable or wearable walking support systems as well as informative description (a subcategory of ETAs or early stages of ETAs) with its working principal advantages and disadvantages so that the researchers can easily get the current stage of assisting blind technology along with the requirement for optimising the design of walking support system for its users

Optical coherence tomography-based consensus definition for lamellar macular hole.

BackgroundA consensus on an optical coherence tomography definition of lamellar macular hole (LMH) and similar conditions is needed.MethodsThe panel reviewed relevant peer-reviewed literature to reach an accord on LMH definition and to differentiate LMH from other similar conditions.ResultsThe panel reached a consensus on the definition of three clinical entities: LMH, epiretinal membrane (ERM) foveoschisis and macular pseudohole (MPH). LMH definition is based on three mandatory criteria and three optional anatomical features. The three mandatory criteria are the presence of irregular foveal contour, the presence of a foveal cavity with undermined edges and the apparent loss of foveal tissue. Optional anatomical features include the presence of epiretinal proliferation, the presence of a central foveal bump and the disruption of the ellipsoid zone. ERM foveoschisis definition is based on two mandatory criteria: the presence of ERM and the presence of schisis at the level of Henle's fibre layer. Three optional anatomical features can also be present: the presence of microcystoid spaces in the inner nuclear layer (INL), an increase of retinal thickness and the presence of retinal wrinkling. MPH definition is based on three mandatory criteria and two optional anatomical features. Mandatory criteria include the presence of a foveal sparing ERM, the presence of a steepened foveal profile and an increased central retinal thickness. Optional anatomical features are the presence of microcystoid spaces in the INL and a normal retinal thickness.ConclusionsThe use of the proposed definitions may provide uniform language for clinicians and future research

Mobile assistive technologies for the visually impaired

There are around 285 million visually impaired people worldwide, and around 370,000 people are registered as blind or partially sighted in the UK. Ongoing advances in information technology (IT) are increasing the scope for IT-based mobile assistive technologies to facilitate the independence, safety, and improved quality of life of the visually impaired. Research is being directed at making mobile phones and other handheld devices accessible via our haptic (touch) and audio sensory channels. We review research and innovation within the field of mobile assistive technology for the visually impaired and, in so doing, highlight the need for successful collaboration between clinical expertise, computer science, and domain users to realize fully the potential benefits of such technologies. We initially reflect on research that has been conducted to make mobile phones more accessible to people with vision loss. We then discuss innovative assistive applications designed for the visually impaired that are either delivered via mainstream devices and can be used while in motion (e.g., mobile phones) or are embedded within an environment that may be in motion (e.g., public transport) or within which the user may be in motion (e.g., smart homes)

Ambient Intelligence for Next-Generation AR

Next-generation augmented reality (AR) promises a high degree of context-awareness - a detailed knowledge of the environmental, user, social and system conditions in which an AR experience takes place. This will facilitate both the closer integration of the real and virtual worlds, and the provision of context-specific content or adaptations. However, environmental awareness in particular is challenging to achieve using AR devices alone; not only are these mobile devices' view of an environment spatially and temporally limited, but the data obtained by onboard sensors is frequently inaccurate and incomplete. This, combined with the fact that many aspects of core AR functionality and user experiences are impacted by properties of the real environment, motivates the use of ambient IoT devices, wireless sensors and actuators placed in the surrounding environment, for the measurement and optimization of environment properties. In this book chapter we categorize and examine the wide variety of ways in which these IoT sensors and actuators can support or enhance AR experiences, including quantitative insights and proof-of-concept systems that will inform the development of future solutions. We outline the challenges and opportunities associated with several important research directions which must be addressed to realize the full potential of next-generation AR.Comment: This is a preprint of a book chapter which will appear in the Springer Handbook of the Metavers

Human factors in instructional augmented reality for intravehicular spaceflight activities and How gravity influences the setup of interfaces operated by direct object selection

In human spaceflight, advanced user interfaces are becoming an interesting mean to facilitate human-machine interaction, enhancing and guaranteeing the sequences of intravehicular space operations. The efforts made to ease such operations have shown strong interests in novel human-computer interaction like Augmented Reality (AR). The work presented in this thesis is directed towards a user-driven design for AR-assisted space operations, iteratively solving issues arisen from the problem space, which also includes the consideration of the effect of altered gravity on handling such interfaces.Auch in der bemannten Raumfahrt steigt das Interesse an neuartigen Benutzerschnittstellen, um nicht nur die Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion effektiver zu gestalten, sondern auch um einen korrekten Arbeitsablauf sicherzustellen. In der Vergangenheit wurden wiederholt Anstrengungen unternommen, Innenbordarbeiten mit Hilfe von Augmented Reality (AR) zu erleichtern. Diese Arbeit konzentriert sich auf einen nutzerorientierten AR-Ansatz, welcher zum Ziel hat, die Probleme schrittweise in einem iterativen Designprozess zu lösen. Dies erfordert auch die Berücksichtigung veränderter Schwerkraftbedingungen

Augmenting the Spatial Perception Capabilities of Users Who Are Blind

People who are blind face a series of challenges and limitations resulting from their lack of being able to see, forcing them to either seek the assistance of a sighted individual or work around the challenge by way of a inefficient adaptation (e.g. following the walls in a room in order to reach a door rather than walking in a straight line to the door). These challenges are directly related to blind users' lack of the spatial perception capabilities normally provided by the human vision system. In order to overcome these spatial perception related challenges, modern technologies can be used to convey spatial perception data through sensory substitution interfaces. This work is the culmination of several projects which address varying spatial perception problems for blind users. First we consider the development of non-visual natural user interfaces for interacting with large displays. This work explores the haptic interaction space in order to find useful and efficient haptic encodings for the spatial layout of items on large displays. Multiple interaction techniques are presented which build on prior research (Folmer et al. 2012), and the efficiency and usability of the most efficient of these encodings is evaluated with blind children. Next we evaluate the use of wearable technology in aiding navigation of blind individuals through large open spaces lacking tactile landmarks used during traditional white cane navigation. We explore the design of a computer vision application with an unobtrusive aural interface to minimize veering of the user while crossing a large open space. Together, these projects represent an exploration into the use of modern technology in augmenting the spatial perception capabilities of blind users

A framework study on the use of immersive XR technologies in the cultural heritage domain

Most cultural promotion and dissemination are nowadays performed through the digitization of heritage sites and museums, a necessary requirement to meet the new needs of the public. Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) have the potential to improve the experience quality and educational effect of these sites by stimulating users’ senses in a more natural and vivid way. In this respect, head-mounted display (HMD) devices allow visitors to enhance the experience of cultural sites by digitizing information and integrating additional virtual cues about cultural artifacts, resulting in a more immersive experience that engages the visitor both physically and emotionally. This study contributes to the development and incorporation of AR, MR, and VR applications in the cultural heritage domain by providing an overview of relevant studies utilizing fully immersive systems, such as headsets and CAVE systems, emphasizing the advantages that they bring when compared to handheld devices. We propose a framework study to identify the key features of headset-based Extended Reality (XR) technologies used in the cultural heritage domain that boost immersion, sense of presence, and agency. Furthermore, we highlight core characteristics that favor the adoption of these systems over more traditional solutions (e.g., handheld devices), as well as unsolved issues that must be addressed to improve the guests’ experience and the appreciation of the cultural heritage. An extensive search of Google Scholar, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Wiley Online Library databases was conducted, including papers published from January 2018 to September 2022. To improve review reporting, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used. Sixty-five papers met the inclusion criteria and were classified depending on the study’s purpose: education, entertainment, edutainment, touristic guidance systems, accessibility, visitor profiling, and management. Immersive cultural heritage systems allow visitors to feel completely immersed and present in the virtual environment, providing a stimulating and educational cultural experience that can improve the quality and learning purposes of cultural visits. Nonetheless, the analyzed studies revealed some limitations that must be faced to give a further impulse to the adoption of these technologies in the cultural heritage domain

Enhancing interaction in mixed reality

With continuous technological innovation, we observe mixed reality emerging from research labs into the mainstream. The arrival of capable mixed reality devices transforms how we are entertained, consume information, and interact with computing systems, with the most recent being able to present synthesized stimuli to any of the human senses and substantially blur the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. In order to build expressive and practical mixed reality experiences, designers, developers, and stakeholders need to understand and meet its upcoming challenges. This research contributes a novel taxonomy for categorizing mixed reality experiences and guidelines for designing mixed reality experiences. We present the results of seven studies examining the challenges and opportunities of mixed reality experiences, the impact of modalities and interaction techniques on the user experience, and how to enhance the experiences. We begin with a study determining user attitudes towards mixed reality in domestic and educational environments, followed by six research probes that each investigate an aspect of reality or virtuality. In the first, a levitating steerable projector enables us to investigate how the real world can be enhanced without instrumenting the user. We show that the presentation of in-situ instructions for navigational tasks leads to a significantly higher ability to observe and recall real-world landmarks. With the second probe, we enhance the perception of reality by superimposing information usually not visible to the human eye. In amplifying the human vision, we enable users to perceive thermal radiation visually. Further, we examine the effect of substituting physical components with non-functional tangible proxies or entirely virtual representations. With the third research probe, we explore how to enhance virtuality to enable a user to input text on a physical keyboard while being immersed in the virtual world. Our prototype tracked the user’s hands and keyboard to enable generic text input. Our analysis of text entry performance showed the importance and effect of different hand representations. We then investigate how to touch virtuality by simulating generic haptic feedback for virtual reality and show how tactile feedback through quadcopters can significantly increase the sense of presence. Our final research probe investigates the usability and input space of smartphones within mixed reality environments, pairing the user’s smartphone as an input device with a secondary physical screen. Based on our learnings from these individual research probes, we developed a novel taxonomy for categorizing mixed reality experiences and guidelines for designing mixed reality experiences. The taxonomy is based on the human sensory system and human capabilities of articulation. We showcased its versatility and set our research probes into perspective by organizing them inside the taxonomic space. The design guidelines are divided into user-centered and technology-centered. It is our hope that these will contribute to the bright future of mixed reality systems while emphasizing the new underlining interaction paradigm.Mixed Reality (vermischte Realitäten) gehen aufgrund kontinuierlicher technologischer Innovationen langsam von der reinen Forschung in den Massenmarkt über. Mit der Einführung von leistungsfähigen Mixed-Reality-Geräten verändert sich die Art und Weise, wie wir Unterhaltungsmedien und Informationen konsumieren und wie wir mit Computersystemen interagieren. Verschiedene existierende Geräte sind in der Lage, jeden der menschlichen Sinne mit synthetischen Reizen zu stimulieren. Hierdurch verschwimmt zunehmend die Grenze zwischen der realen und der virtuellen Welt. Um eindrucksstarke und praktische Mixed-Reality-Erfahrungen zu kreieren, müssen Designer und Entwicklerinnen die künftigen Herausforderungen und neuen Möglichkeiten verstehen. In dieser Dissertation präsentieren wir eine neue Taxonomie zur Kategorisierung von Mixed-Reality-Erfahrungen sowie Richtlinien für die Gestaltung von solchen. Wir stellen die Ergebnisse von sieben Studien vor, in denen die Herausforderungen und Chancen von Mixed-Reality-Erfahrungen, die Auswirkungen von Modalitäten und Interaktionstechniken auf die Benutzererfahrung und die Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung dieser Erfahrungen untersucht werden. Wir beginnen mit einer Studie, in der die Haltung der nutzenden Person gegenüber Mixed Reality in häuslichen und Bildungsumgebungen analysiert wird. In sechs weiteren Fallstudien wird jeweils ein Aspekt der Realität oder Virtualität untersucht. In der ersten Fallstudie wird mithilfe eines schwebenden und steuerbaren Projektors untersucht, wie die Wahrnehmung der realen Welt erweitert werden kann, ohne dabei die Person mit Technologie auszustatten. Wir zeigen, dass die Darstellung von in-situ-Anweisungen für Navigationsaufgaben zu einer deutlich höheren Fähigkeit führt, Sehenswürdigkeiten der realen Welt zu beobachten und wiederzufinden. In der zweiten Fallstudie erweitern wir die Wahrnehmung der Realität durch Überlagerung von Echtzeitinformationen, die für das menschliche Auge normalerweise unsichtbar sind. Durch die Erweiterung des menschlichen Sehvermögens ermöglichen wir den Anwender:innen, Wärmestrahlung visuell wahrzunehmen. Darüber hinaus untersuchen wir, wie sich das Ersetzen von physischen Komponenten durch nicht funktionale, aber greifbare Replikate oder durch die vollständig virtuelle Darstellung auswirkt. In der dritten Fallstudie untersuchen wir, wie virtuelle Realitäten verbessert werden können, damit eine Person, die in der virtuellen Welt verweilt, Text auf einer physischen Tastatur eingeben kann. Unser Versuchsdemonstrator detektiert die Hände und die Tastatur, zeigt diese in der vermischen Realität an und ermöglicht somit die verbesserte Texteingaben. Unsere Analyse der Texteingabequalität zeigte die Wichtigkeit und Wirkung verschiedener Handdarstellungen. Anschließend untersuchen wir, wie man Virtualität berühren kann, indem wir generisches haptisches Feedback für virtuelle Realitäten simulieren. Wir zeigen, wie Quadrokopter taktiles Feedback ermöglichen und dadurch das Präsenzgefühl deutlich steigern können. Unsere letzte Fallstudie untersucht die Benutzerfreundlichkeit und den Eingaberaum von Smartphones in Mixed-Reality-Umgebungen. Hierbei wird das Smartphone der Person als Eingabegerät mit einem sekundären physischen Bildschirm verbunden, um die Ein- und Ausgabemodalitäten zu erweitern. Basierend auf unseren Erkenntnissen aus den einzelnen Fallstudien haben wir eine neuartige Taxonomie zur Kategorisierung von Mixed-Reality-Erfahrungen sowie Richtlinien für die Gestaltung von solchen entwickelt. Die Taxonomie basiert auf dem menschlichen Sinnessystem und den Artikulationsfähigkeiten. Wir stellen die vielseitige Verwendbarkeit vor und setzen unsere Fallstudien in Kontext, indem wir sie innerhalb des taxonomischen Raums einordnen. Die Gestaltungsrichtlinien sind in nutzerzentrierte und technologiezentrierte Richtlinien unterteilt. Es ist unsere Anliegen, dass diese Gestaltungsrichtlinien zu einer erfolgreichen Zukunft von Mixed-Reality-Systemen beitragen und gleichzeitig die neuen Interaktionsparadigmen hervorheben

A Dose of Reality: Overcoming Usability Challenges in VR Head-Mounted Displays

We identify usability challenges facing consumers adopting Virtual Reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) in a survey of 108 VR HMD users. Users reported significant issues in interacting with, and being aware of their real-world context when using a HMD. Building upon existing work on blending real and virtual environments, we performed three design studies to address these usability concerns. In a typing study, we show that augmenting VR with a view of reality significantly corrected the performance impairment of typing in VR. We then investigated how much reality should be incorporated and when, so as to preserve users’ sense of presence in VR. For interaction with objects and peripherals, we found that selectively presenting reality as users engaged with it was optimal in terms of performance and users’ sense of presence. Finally, we investigated how this selective, engagement-dependent approach could be applied in social environments, to support the user’s awareness of the proximity and presence of others