Sensory navigation device for blind people

[EN] This paper presents a new Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) 'Acoustic Prototype' which is especially suited to facilitate the navigation of visually impaired users. The device consists of a set of 3-Dimensional Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (3-D CMOS) image sensors based on the three-dimensional integration and Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) processing techniques implemented into a pair of glasses, stereo headphones as well as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) used as processing unit. The device is intended to be used as a complementary device to navigation through both open known and unknown environments. The FPGA and the 3D-CMOS image sensor electronics control object detection. Distance measurement is achieved by using chip-integrated technology based on the Multiple Short Time Integration method. The processed information of the object distance is presented to the user via acoustic sounds through stereophonic headphones. The user interprets the information as an acoustic image of the surrounding environment. The Acoustic Prototype transforms the surface of the objects of the real environment into acoustical sounds. The method used is similar to a bat's acoustic orientation. Having good hearing ability, with few weeks training the users are able to perceive not only the presence of an object but also the object form (that is, if the object is round, if it has corners, if it is a car or a box, if it is a cardboard object or if it is an iron or cement object, a tree, a person, a static or moving object). The information is continuously delivered to the user in a few nanoseconds until the device is shut down, helping the end user to perceive the information in real time.The first author would like to acknowledge that this research was funded through the FP6 European project CASBLiP number 027063 and Project number 2062 of the Programa de Apoyo a la Investigacion y Desarrollo 2011 from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Dunai, L.; Peris Fajarnes, G.; Lluna Gil, E.; Defez Garcia, B. (2013). Sensory navigation device for blind people. Journal of Navigation. 66(3):346-362. doi:10.1017/S0373463312000574S34636266

Optimization of Interaural Intensity Difference based Binaural Sonar Sensing System for Object Detection

Interaural Intensity Difference (IID) in binaural sonar systems is used for echolocation and obstacle sensing. In this article, we show by simulation the optimized system’s parameters in terms of frequency, sensor separation distance and the working range for an IID based binaural sonar sensing system. Our result shows that the best performances with a frequency range between 100 to 300 kHz and a separation distance, depending on the size of the microphone, in our case between 2 cm to 5 cm within the working range of 1 m. The approach developed in this paper could be useful for mobile localization and mapping, particularly in compact size mobile devices

Design, modeling and analysis of object localization through acoustical signals for cognitive electronic travel aid for blind people

El objetivo de la tesis consiste en el estudio y análisis de la localización de objetos en el entorno real mediante sonidos, así como la posterior integración y ensayo de un dispositivo real basado en tal técnica y destinado a personas con discapacidad visual. Con el propósito de poder comprender y analizar la localización de objetos se ha realizado un profundo estado de arte sobre los Sistemas de Navegación desarrollados durante las últimas décadas y orientados a personas con distintos grados de discapacidad visual. En el citado estado del arte, se han analizado y estructurado los dispositivos de navegación existentes, clasificándolos de acuerdo con los componentes de adquisición de datos del entorno utilizados. A este respecto, hay que señalar que, hasta el momento, se conocen tres clases de dispositivos de navegación: 'detectores de obstáculos', que se basan en dispositivos de ultrasonidos y sensores instalados en los dispositivos electrónicos de navegación con el objetivo de detectar los objetos que aparecen en el área de trabajo del sistema; 'sensores del entorno' - que tienen como objetivo la detección del objeto y del usuario. Esta clase de dispositivos se instalan en las estaciones de autobús, metro, tren, pasos de peatones etc., de forma que cuando el sensor del usuario penetra en el área de alcance de los sensores instalados en la estación, éstos informan al usuario sobre la presencia de la misma. Asimismo, el sensor del usuario detecta también los medios de transporte que tienen instalado el correspondiente dispositivo basado en láser o ultrasonidos, ofreciendo al usuario información relativa a número de autobús, ruta etc La tercera clase de sistemas electrónicos de navegación son los 'dispositivos de navegación'. Estos elementos se basan en dispositivos GPS, indicando al usuario tanto su locación, como la ruta que debe seguir para llegar a su punto de destino. Tras la primera etapa de elaboración del estaDunai ., L. (2010). Design, modeling and analysis of object localization through acoustical signals for cognitive electronic travel aid for blind people [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/8441Palanci

Navigation device for blind people based on Time-of-Flight technology

[EN] The paper presents a new navigation and object detector device for blind people based on Time-of-Flight technology and acoustic sounds. The device has been developed as a complementary device for blind people. Its main objective is to detect and localize the obstacles from the environment and inform to the user about their presence through acoustic sounds, both in distance and in azimuth. The device working area is from 0,5m up to 5m in distance and between 30º left and 30º right of the human head, with a precision of 0,9º. The device architecture is based on glasses which contain a 3D-CMOS sensor, an FPGA with the whole electronics and software. After a short experimental period it was possible to demonstrate the importance of the development of such device for the blind community. Due to the acoustic device, blind users were able to detect obstacles from the environment, localize and avoid them.[ES] El artículo presenta un nuevo dispositivo de navegación y detección de obstáculos para las personas ciegas, basado en la tecnología Time-of-Flight y en sonidos acústicos. El dispositivo se ha desarrollado como un dispositivo de ayuda, complementario al bastón, para las personas invidentes. Su objetivo primordial es detectar los obstáculos e informar al usuario mediante sonidos acústicos de la locación de los mismos, tanto en distancia como en dirección. El dispositivo tiene un rango de trabajo entre los 0.5 m y 5 m en distancia y entre 30º izquierda y 30º derecha en azimut, con una precisión de 0,9º. El dispositivo informa a los usuarios mediante auriculares estéreo, de la presencia de los obstáculos situados en su camino. Está compuesto por un sistema de sensores 3D-CMOS montado en un par de gafas de sol, un FPGA que se encarga de procesar la información recibida por los sensores y transformarla en sonidos acústicos, y un par de auriculares estéreo. Las pruebas experimentales llevadas a cabo demuestran el potencial que puede tener para las personas invidentes. Se prueba que con la ayuda del dispositivo acústico los usuarios se sienten más seguros a la hora de transitar por las calles, debido a que tienen una amplia información sobre el entorno que los rodea, más allá de la obtenida con el bastón.El trabajo ha sido apoyado por el proyecto Nº 2062 del programa PAID-06-11 de la Universitat Politècnica de València.Lengua, I.; Dunai, L.; Peris Fajarnes, G.; Defez Garcia, B. (2013). Dispositivo de navegación para personas invidentes basado en la tecnología Time of Flight. DYNA. 80(179):33-41. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/70683S33418017

Görme engelliler için yüksek frekanslı ses dalgaları kullanılarak giyilebilir mesafe ölçer tasarımı

06.03.2018 tarihli ve 30352 sayılı Resmi Gazetede yayımlanan “Yükseköğretim Kanunu İle Bazı Kanun Ve Kanun Hükmünde Kararnamelerde Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Kanun” ile 18.06.2018 tarihli “Lisansüstü Tezlerin Elektronik Ortamda Toplanması, Düzenlenmesi ve Erişime Açılmasına İlişkin Yönerge” gereğince tam metin erişime açılmıştır.Doğuştan veya sonradan engelli bireylerin hayatlarını olağan veya olağana yakın sürdürebilmeleri için karşılarına çıkabilecek olumsuzlukların en aza indirgenmesi gerekmektedir. Yaşamları boyunca engellerinin onlara eksiklik hissettirmemesi, sosyal yapının bir parçası olduklarını kabullenmeleri çok önemlidir. Bu nedenle engellerinin kısıtlayıcı boyutlarını ortandan kaldıracak teknolojilere ihtiyaç duyulur. Bu çalışma temel olarak görme engellilerin hayatlarını kolaylaştırmak için karşılarına çıkabilecek engellerin tespitini sağlayacaktır. Bununla birlikte kaliteli gezinme ortamı sağlayacaktır. Geliştirilen kablosuz algılayıcılar görme engellilerin karşılarına çıkabilecek engelleri yüksek frekanslı ses dalgaları kullanarak tespit edilmesini ve verilerin mikroişlemcilerde yorumlanmasını sağlar. Yorumlanan bu bilgiler kablosuz olarak ana işlemciye iletilir. Ana işlemci diğer birimlerden gelen bilgileri derleyerek, engelli birey için bir tehlike oluşturuyorsa engelli bireye bildirimi gerçekleştirilir. Geliştirilen Kablosuz vücut alan ağı ile görme engelli bireylerin önlerinde bulunan engeller tespit edilerek titreşim ve ses olarak uyarı yapılması sağlanmaktadır.The negatives that is encountered congenital or acquired disabled individuals need to be minimized in order to sustain the lives them. Obstacles should not be feel them throughout lifetime in order to accept that they are a part of a social structure. Therefore, technologies that will eliminate the restrictive side of the disabled is needed. This study basically detect the obstacles that is encountered blind, to facilitate the lives of the blind and it is simultaneously facilitate their wandering. Ultrasonic sensors detect it when blind encountered obstacles. Detected data send to microcontroller. Microcontroller send to center microcontroller using ZigBee transport protocol. Data that received different points is evaluated by center microcontroller. If blind is very close to obstacle, blind is warned by vibration motor and buzzer. Device was experimented over blind. To demonstrate the benefits of the developed device. Different type scenarios were produced for performed experiments and Obtained results were compared to each other. Developed device performance was found expected rate in performed comparison

Audification of Ultrasound for Human Echolocation

Individuals with functional blindness must often utilise assistive aids to enable them to complete tasks of daily living. One of these tasks, locomotion, poses considerable risk. The long white cane is often used to perform haptic exploration, but cannot detect obstacles that are not ground-based. Although devices have been developed to provide information above waist height, these do not provide auditory interfaces that are easy to learn. Development of such devices should adapt to the user, not require adaptation by the user. Can obstacle avoidance be achieved through direct perception? This research presents an auditory interface that has been designed with the user as the primary focus. An analysis of the tasks required has been taken into account resulting in an interface that audifies ultrasound. Audification provides intuitive information to the user to enable perceptive response to environmental obstacles. A device was developed that provides Doppler shift signals that are audible as a result of intentional aliasing. This system provides acoustic flow that is evident upon initiation of travel and has been shown to be effective in perceiving apertures and avoiding environmental obstacles. The orientation of receivers on this device was also examined, resulting in better distance perception and centreline accuracy when oriented outward as compared to forward. The design of this novel user interface for visually impaired individuals has also provided a tool that can be used to evaluate direct perception and acoustic flow in a manner that has never been studied before

Simulación de un entorno real utilizando holofonías

[EN] The holophony is a technique of spatialization of sound. A holophony is equivalent to a hologram, considering the use of images. Its applications can be diverse and among them can be included to being able to be immersed in a concert in your living room or guiding for blind people. In this Master's Thesis, it is proposed to generate holophonics making use of the capture and processing of real-world scene. As development tools Unity, OpenCV and OpenAL will be used.[ES] La holofonía es una técnica de espacialización sonora. Una holofonía es equivalente a una holografía, si se considera el uso de imágenes. Sus aplicaciones pueden ser diversas y entre ellas cabe destacar el poder estar inmerso en un concierto en el salón de tu casa o el guiado para invidentes. En este Trabajo Fin de Máster se propone generar holofonías utilizando para ello la captura y procesamiento de la escena del mundo real. Como herramientas de desarrollo se utilizará Unity, OpenCV y OpenAL.Prieto López, AE. (2016). Simulación de un entorno real utilizando holofonías. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/77627TFG

Ayudas Electrónicas en Baja Visión

Se realiza una revisión bibliográfica de las ayudas electrónicas existentes para las personas con discapacidad visual (DV). Se clasifica los tipos de ayudas electrónicas dependiendo de la tarea a desempeñar (las ayudas electrónicas para la lectura, las ayudas electrónicas utilizadas para la orientación y la movilidad, ayudas electrónicas para el acceso a la información e internet, ayudas electrónicas utilizadas en la vida diaria y las ayudas utilizadas en la grabación y edición de audio.). La actividad más demandada de recuperación en los servicios de rehabilitación visual es la lectura, por lo que la mayoría de las ayudas electrónicas están diseñadas para ser utilizadas en las actividades cercanas. Se aporta una breve descripción de las características y funciones de cada ayuda electrónica, así como algunos ejemplos de dispositivos comerciales existentes. Además, se hace una búsqueda bibliográfica para verificar la eficacia de las ayudas electrónicas visuales en sujeto con discapacidad visual, se valora la mejoría conseguida en la velocidad lectora así como los beneficios aportados por estos dispositivos en la movilidad y orientación. También se realiza búsquedas sobre estudios en las que se realice una comparación de las diferentes ayudas electrónicas.Máster en Rehabilitación Visua