A navigation aid for the visually impaired

Abstract

The explosion of new technologies in recent times has created many as yet unexplored possibilities in the area of assistive technology. Assistive technology may be thought of as any technology that alleviates the affects of an impairment, disability or handicap. One of the greatest challenges facing designers of assistive technologies is to accurately define the user requirements. The background research chapter of this report attempts to define the user requirements for a navigation aid that can be used any person, regardless of visual ability, both through literature surveys and through dialogue with potential end users. The conclusions drawn from this research are used as a basis for an investigation into possible technological solutions, culminating in a technical summary. Subsequently, the design and implementation of a software package capable of providing environmental information and navigational suggestions is discussed in the final chapters The package is designed to be flexible enough to act as a basis for further research and eventual implementation of a fully functioning navigation aid