scholarly journals Virtual Guide Dog: Next-generation pedestrian signal for the visually impaired

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 168781401988309
Author(s):  
Zijia Zhong ◽  
Joyoung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Level Of Service ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Pedestrian Crossing ◽  
Gyroscope Sensor ◽  
Pedestrian Signals ◽  
Distance Deviation

Accessible pedestrian signal was proposed as a mean to achieve the same level of service that is set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act for the visually impaired. One of the major issues of existing accessible pedestrian signals is the failure to deliver adequate crossing information for the visually impaired. This article presents a mobile-based accessible pedestrian signal application, namely, Virtual Guide Dog. Integrating intersection information and onboard sensors (e.g. GPS, compass, accelerometer, and gyroscope sensor) of modern smartphones, the Virtual Guide Dog application can notify the visually impaired: (1) the close proximity of an intersection and (2) the street information for crossing. By employing a screen tapping interface, Virtual Guide Dog can remotely place a pedestrian crossing call to the controller, without the need of using a pushbutton. In addition, Virtual Guide Dog informs VIs the start of a crossing phase using text-to-speech technology. The proof-of-concept test shows that Virtual Guide Dog keeps the users informed about the remaining distance as they are approaching the intersection. It was also found that the GPS-only mode is accompanied by greater distance deviation compared to the mode jointly operating with both GPS and cellular positioning.

Aurality

2020 ◽  
pp. 205-212
Author(s):  
Georgina Kleege
Keyword(s):  
Oral Language ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Audio Books

The author recounts her history as an aural reader and argues for her preference for the synthesized voices of text-to-speech technology over analogue recordings of human voices. Legally blind since the age of 11, she developed habits of good listening, which served to elevate her aural reading from the passive reception of oral language to a more active practice of aural discernment. Now, with the widespread popularity of audio books and the ubiquity of synthesized voice technologies in mainstream electronic devices, she perceives progress toward greater social inclusion for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Design and Performance Analysis of Pedestrian Crossing Facilities for Continuous Flow Intersections

2005 ◽  
Vol 1939 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramanujan Jagannathan ◽  
Joe G. Bared
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Flow ◽  
Level Of Service ◽  
Vehicular Traffic ◽  
Average Delay ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Traffic Performance ◽  
Pedestrian Traffic ◽  
Pedestrian Level Of Service ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Pedestrian Crossing

Although concepts of the continuous flow intersection (CFI) have been around for approximately four decades, minimal or no literature describing studies that have analyzed pedestrian traffic performance at these intersections is available. Several studies have reported on the qualitative and quantitative benefits for the vehicular traffic performance of CFIs in comparison with the benefits for the vehicular traffic performance of conventional intersections but have provided minimal or no discussion about pedestrian traffic performance. As a novel intersection design, many important considerations are required to design pedestrian accesses and crossings at CFIs without compromising pedestrian safety and vehicular traffic performance. In this paper, the design methodologies for providing pedestrian access and related pedestrian signal timings are discussed. Modeling was conducted on three typical geometries for CFIs with base signal timings optimized for vehicular traffic performance. The results indicate an acceptable pedestrian level of service of B or C on the basis of the average delay per stop experienced by any pedestrian for pedestrian crossings at the typical CFI geometries modeled. All pedestrians served at the CFIs are accommodated within two cycles for a typical signal cycle length ranging from 60 to 100 s.

scholarly journals A Hands-Free Obstacle Detection and Avoidance System

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 801-804
Author(s):  
M. Abdul-Niby ◽  
M. Alameen ◽  
O. Irscheid ◽  
M. Baidoun ◽  
H. Mourtada
Keyword(s):  
Obstacle Avoidance ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Voice Signal ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
The Voice

In this paper, we present a low cost hands-free detection and avoidance system designed to provide mobility assistance for visually impaired people. An ultrasonic sensor is attached to the jacket of the user and detects the obstacles in front. The information obtained is transferred to the user through audio messages and also by a vibration. The range of the detection is user-defined. A text-to-speech module is employed for the voice signal. The proposed obstacle avoidance device is cost effective, easy to use and easily upgraded.

scholarly journals Building a natural sounding Text-To-Speech system for the Nepali language: research and development challenges and solutions

Gipan ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 106-116
Author(s):  
Roop Shree Ratna Bajracharya ◽  
Santosh Regmi ◽  
Bal Krishna Bal ◽  
Balaram Prasain
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Speech Synthesis ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Synthesis System ◽  
Unit Selection ◽  
Language Research ◽  
Shed Light

Text-to-Speech (TTS) synthesis has come far from its primitive synthetic monotone voices to more natural and intelligible sounding voices. One of the direct applications of a natural sounding TTS systems is the screen reader applications for the visually impaired and the blind community. The Festival Speech Synthesis System uses a concatenative speech synthesis method together with the unit selection process to generate a natural sounding voice. This work primarily gives an account of the efforts put towards developing a Natural sounding TTS system for Nepali using the Festival system. We also shed light on the issues faced and the solutions derived which can be quite overlapping across other similar under-resourced languages in the region.

Research and Design of Electronic Speech Reader Based on Text-to-Speech Technology

2012 ◽  
Vol 433-440 ◽  
pp. 4883-4887
Author(s):  
Hong Li Yang ◽  
Yun Yang ◽  
Zhu Yue
Keyword(s):  
Computer Technology ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Sound Signal ◽  
Current Development ◽  
Text To Speech ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Key Technology ◽  
Text Information ◽  
Voice Service ◽  
Research And Design

TTS, namely text-to-speech, is a kind of technology who can convert text information into sound signal according to information Speech processing rules. TTS, as the synthetic technology of the pronunciation, is the key technology in the current development of computer technology, and one of the most forward technical in its voice service, telephone banking, and information home appliances, mobile PDA fields. TTS has its extensive applications. In this paper, TTS is applied to electronic speech reader, which changes traditional way to read e-book, and both listening to and novels and learning English. This article introduces a method about how to make use of TTS technology, and how to achieve an electronic Speech reader of programming based on Visual Studio C# 2008 environment bring API and Microsoft SAPI interface.

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