3,640 research outputs found
Assistive Systems for the Visually Impaired Based on Image Processing
In this chapter, we proposed three assistive systems for visually impaired individuals based on image processing: Kinect cane system, Kinect goggle system, and light checking system. The Kinect cane system can detect obstacles of various sizes and also recognize objects such as seats. A visually impaired user is notified of the results of detection and recognition by means of vibration feedback. The Kinect goggle system is another type of wearable system, and can make user’s hands free. The light checking system is implemented as an application for a smartphone, and can tell a visually impaired user the ON/OFF states of room lights and elevator button lights. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed systems are effective in helping visually impaired individuals in everyday environments
Blind guide: anytime, anywhere
Sight dominates our mental life, more than any other sense. Even when we are just
thinking about something the world, we end imagining what looks like. This rich visual
experience is part of our lives. People need the vision for two complementary reasons. One
of them is vision give us the knowledge to recognize objects in real time. The other reason
is vision provides us the control one need to move around and interact with objects.
Eyesight helps people to avoid dangers and navigate in our world. Blind people
usually have enhanced accuracy and sensibility of their other natural senses to sense their
surroundings. But sometimes this is not enough because the human senses can be affected
by external sources of noise or disease. Without any foreign aid or device, sightless cannot
navigate in the world. Many assistive tools have been developed to help blind people.
White canes or guide dogs help blind in their navigation. Each device has their limitation.
White canes cannot detect head level obstacles, drop-offs, and obstructions over a meter
away. The training of a guide dog takes a long time, almost five years in some cases. The
sightless also needs training and is not a solution for everybody. Taking care of a guide
dog can be expensive and time consuming.
Humans have developed technology for helping us in every aspect of our lives. The
primary goal of technology is helping people to improve their quality of life. Technology
can assist us with our limitations. Wireless sensor networks is a technology that has been
used to help people with disabilities.
In this dissertation, the author proposes a system based on this technology called
Blind Guide. Blind Guide is an artifact that helps blind people to navigate in indoors or
outdoors scenarios. The prototype is portable assuring that can be used anytime and
anywhere. The system is composed of wireless sensors that can be used in different parts
of the body. The sensors detect an obstacle and inform the user with an audible warning
providing a safety walk to the users.
A great feature about Blind Guide is its modularity. The system can adapt to the
needs of the user and can be used in a combination with other solution. For example, Blind
Guide can be used in conjunction with the white cane. The white cane detects obstacles
below waist level and a Blind Guide wireless sensor in the forehead can detect obstacles at the head level. This feature is important because some sightless people feel uncomfortable
without the white cane.
The system is scalable giving us the opportunity to create a network of
interconnected Blind Guide users. This network can store the exact location and
description of the obstacles found by the users. This information is public for all users of
this system. This feature reduces the time required for obstacle detection and consequent
energy savings, thus increasing the autonomy of the solution.
One of the main requirements for the development of this prototype was to design a
low-cost solution that can be accessible for anyone around the world. All the components
of the solution can provide a low-cost solution, easily obtainable and at a low cost.
Technology makes our life easier and it must be available for anyone.
Modularity, portability, scalability, the possibility to work in conjunction with other
solutions, detecting objects that other solutions cannot, obstacle labeling, a network of
identified obstacles and audible warnings are the main aspects of the Blind Guide system.
All these aspects makes Blind Guide an anytime, anywhere solution for blind people.
Blind Guide was tested with a group of volunteers. The volunteers were sightless and
from different ages. The trials performed to the system show us positive results. The
system successfully detected incoming obstacles and informed in real time to its users. The
volunteers gave us a positive feedback telling that they felt comfortable using the prototype
and they believe that the system can help them with their daily routine
Comparative analysis of computer-vision and BLE technology based indoor navigation systems for people with visual impairments
Background: Considerable number of indoor navigation systems has been proposed to augment people with visual impairments (VI) about their surroundings. These systems leverage several technologies, such as computer-vision, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), and other techniques to estimate the position of a user in indoor areas. Computer-vision based systems use several techniques including matching pictures, classifying captured images, recognizing visual objects or visual markers. BLE based system utilizes BLE beacons attached in the indoor areas as the source of the radio frequency signal to localize the position of the user. Methods: In this paper, we examine the performance and usability of two computer-vision based systems and BLE-based system. The first system is computer-vision based system, called CamNav that uses a trained deep learning model to recognize locations, and the second system, called QRNav, that utilizes visual markers (QR codes) to determine locations. A field test with 10 blindfolded users has been conducted while using the three navigation systems. Results: The obtained results from navigation experiment and feedback from blindfolded users show that QRNav and CamNav system is more efficient than BLE based system in terms of accuracy and usability. The error occurred in BLE based application is more than 30% compared to computer vision based systems including CamNav and QRNav. Conclusions: The developed navigation systems are able to provide reliable assistance for the participants during real time experiments. Some of the participants took minimal external assistance while moving through the junctions in the corridor areas. Computer vision technology demonstrated its superiority over BLE technology in assistive systems for people with visual impairments. - 2019 The Author(s).Scopu
Smartphone application for accessible navigation
Διπλωματική εργασία--Πανεπιστήμιο Μακεδονίας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 2018.The main aim of this study is to investigate how the modern smartphone technology can assist people with visual impairments in indoor navigation tasks. We use the free and open indoor navigation service Anyplace, to design an indoor guidance system that is accessible, inexpensive, simple and user-friendly to different user groups disregarding their disabilities. The Android application that Anyplace offers, was extended and modified to serve also the needs of visually impaired users. The presented system works well with the assistive applications that Android platform offers and provides various ways for interaction between the user and the system.
The system is communicating with Anyplace server to inform the user about the information of the surrounding environment and guide him/her to the desired place in the building with accessible messages. The application can process, specific pre-defined user commands and location information from existing QR labels in the building.
This thesis is focusing on assisting the impaired users on indoor navigation tasks, but not on replacing the assistive means that the visually impaired user is already using. (e.g. long cane, guide dog) Experimental results show the ability of the system to effectively communicate with the user and assist him/her in way-finding tasks in the building of the University of Macedonia
Map data representation for indoor navigation - a design framework towards a construction of indoor map
A map is a basic component used in a part of navigation in everyday life, which helps people to find information regarding locations, landmarks, and routes. By GPS and online service map e.g. Google maps, navigating outdoors is easier. Inside buildings, however, navigating would not be so easy due to natural characteristics and limitations of GPS, which has led to the creations of indoor navigation system. Even though the indoor navigation systems have been developed for long time, there are still some limitation in accuracy, reliability and indoor spatial information. Navigating inside without indoor spatial information would be a challenge for the users. Regarding the indoor spatial information, a research question has been drawn on finding an appropriate framework towards map data representation of an indoor public spaces and buildings in order to promote indoor navigation for people, robotics, and autonomous systems. This paper has purposed a list of factors and components used towards the design framework for map data representation of indoor public spaces and buildings. The framework, in this paper, has been presented as a form of a multiple-layered model, which each layer designed for a different propose, with object and information classifications
An indoor navigation architecture using variable data sources for blind and visually impaired persons
Contrary to outdoor positioning and navigation
systems, there isn’t a counterpart global solution for indoor
environments. Usually, the deployment of an indoor positioning
system must be adapted case by case, according to the
infrastructure and the objective of the localization. A particularly
delicate case is related with persons who are blind or visually
impaired. A robust and easy to use indoor navigation solution
would be extremely useful, but this would also be particularly
difficult to develop, given the special requirements of the system
that would have to be more accurate and user friendly than a
general solution. This paper presents a contribute to this subject,
by proposing a hybrid indoor positioning system adaptable to the
surrounding indoor structure, and dealing with different types of
signals to increase accuracy. This would permit lower the
deployment costs, since it could be done gradually, beginning
with the likely existing Wi-Fi infrastructure to get a fairy
accuracy up to a high accuracy using visual tags and NFC tags
when necessary and possible.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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