scholarly journals Development and optimization of a portable guidance system for the blind and visually impaired with the application of artificial intelligence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamas Nemes
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Performance Standard ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Improve Accuracy ◽  
New Type ◽  
Map Accuracy

This work describes a new type of portable, self-regulating guidance system, which learns to recognize obstacles with the help of a camera, artificial intelligence, and various sensors and thus warn the wearer through audio signals. For obstacle detection, a MobileNetV2 model with an SSD attachment is used which was trained on a custom dataset. Moreover, the system uses the data of motion and distance sensors to improve accuracy. Experimental results confirm that the system can operate with 74.9% mAP accuracy and a reaction time of 0.15 seconds, meeting the performance standard for modern object detection applications. It will also be presented how those affected commented on the device and how the system could be transformed into a marketable product.

scholarly journals A Smart Vision Based Navigation Aid for the Visually Impaired

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kommey ◽  
Kumbong Herrman ◽  
Ernest Ofosu Addo
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Navigation ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Autonomous Systems ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Outdoor Scenes

Due to the ever increasing number of blind and visually impaired people in the world, there has been a great amount of research dedicated to the design of assistive technologies to support them. The various assistive technologies apply different techniques including laser, ultrasonic sensors and image processing. Autonomous navigation is a significant challenge for the visually impaired, it makes life uncomfortable for them and poses serious safety issues. In this paper we review the progress made so far in vision based systems and propose an approach for developing navigation aids through techniques used in other autonomous systems like self-driving vehicles. The proposed system uses a front camera to capture images and then produces commensurate guiding audio signals that allow the user freely move in their environment. An extra rear camera is included to allow the user to obtain more information about the scene. Care is taken however not to overload the user with information. The proposed method is tested both in indoor and outdoor scenes and is effective in notifying the user for any obstacles. The goal of this paper is to propose a model for and to develop subsystems for an intelligent, high performance, affordable and easy to use image based navigation aid for the visually impaired.

Samara Regional Library for the Blind: Vector of Current Development

2010 ◽  
pp. 116-121
Author(s):  
Irina N. Klyuyashkina ◽  
Valentina V. Tyugasheva
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Disabled Persons ◽  
Current Development ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Social Rehabilitation ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Type ◽  
The City

The article considers the history of the creation and establishment of libraries for the blind as the main library in the region, and also main functions of the organization of services of blind population of the city of Samara and the region. Inevitability of transformation of a role and functions of library for the blind in the social rehabilitation of disabled persons is shown. Particular attention is paid to a new type of service for users with application of information technology. The project activities of the library, aimed at realization of possibilities of blind and visually impaired users, their rehabilitation and social rehabilitation are described.

Troublesome Objects: Unpacking Ocular-Centrism in Urban Environments by Studying Blind Navigation Using Video Ethnography and Ethnomethodology

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L Due ◽  
Simon Bierring Lange
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Design And Technology ◽  
Video Ethnography ◽  
Space Design ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
Video Material

This article reports on research into the navigational practices of blind and visually impaired people in urban environments. The members of this community encounter many types of obstacles, but this article focuses on ‘unpredictable inanimate moveable objects’. The analyses are based on recorded video material from ‘naturally occurring’ walks in a Danish urban area and are informed by ethnomethodology, with a focus on how blind or visually impaired people navigate and deal with trouble sources. This research unpacks the detailed features of navigation and obstacle-detection in the urban environment and demonstrates the value of using ethnomethodology to analyze the skilled character of everyday navigation in spaces in which the walker-with-cane is a kind of assemblage in harmony or at odds with other surfaces and objects. The findings have implications for space design and technology developments which can assist blind people with obstacle detection. The article uses empirical cases to discuss an ocular-centric bias and suggests the need for a more granular understanding of physical objects and tactile experiences in future developments of a sociology of space.

scholarly journals Public Participation in the Development Process of a Mobility Assistance System for Visually Impaired Pedestrians

Societies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Weinberger ◽  
Markus Winkelmann ◽  
Karin Müller ◽  
Sebastian Ritterbusch ◽  
Rainer Stiefelhagen
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Assistance System ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Restricted Mobility

Blind and visually impaired people have to cope with the safe movement through public space and the (lack of) knowledge of spatial issues and walkable routes. These challenges often lead to a fear of accidents and collisions, frequently also of disorientation. This, in turn, can result in a reduced radius of action, restricted mobility, and later on, in social isolation. Against this background, the project TERRAIN aims at developing a technical guidance system for orientation and navigation in urban space. For the development of this assistance system, the project pursues an approach in which reflexive, responsive, and deliberative dimensions have been integrated to address the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) in a co-design process. This paper focuses on the participation of citizens independent of vision impairments in the project which provided a variety of relevant indications of impacts and potential technical adaptations from an ‘outer’ point of view. In addition, conclusions can be drawn about the existing desirability and acceptance of the technical solution among the potential users as well as their social environment of potential users. In addition, it turned out that the citizen participation process raised different expectations among the project partners. Therefore, this article evaluates the participation results from the perspective of the technology developers and the technology assessors.

A WALKING GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (06) ◽  
pp. 1171-1186 ◽  
Author(s):  
SANG-WOONG LEE ◽  
SEONGHOON KANG ◽  
SEONG-WHAN LEE
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
People Detection ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Voice User ◽  
System Obstacle

In this paper, we present a walking guidance system for the visually impaired pedestrians. The system has been designed to help the visually impaired by responding intelligently to various situations that can occur in unrestricted natural outdoor environments when walking and finding the destinations. It involves the main functions of people detection, text recognition, face recognition. In addition, added sophisticated functions of walking path guidance using Differential Global Positioning System, obstacle detection using a stereo camera and voice user, interface are included. In order to operate all functions concurrently, we develop approaches in real situations and integrate them. Finally, we experiment on a prototype system under natural environments in order to verify our approaches. The results show that our approaches are applicable to real situations.

scholarly journals Geometric Fuzzy Techniques for Guidance of Visually Impaired People

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-157
Author(s):  
Adán Landa-Hernández ◽  
Heriberto Casarubias-Vargas ◽  
Eduardo Bayro-Corrochano
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Stereoscopic Vision ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Vanishing Points ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People ◽  
Fuzzy Techniques ◽  
Impaired Person

In this paper we present the design of a device to guide the visually impaired person who normally uses a cane. We propose a non-invasive device that will help blind and visually impaired people to navigate. The system uses stereoscopic vision, a RGB-D sensor and an IMU to process images and to compute the distances from obstacles relative to cameras and to search for free walking paths in the scene. This computing is done using stereo vision, vanishing points, and fuzzy rules. Vanishing points are used to obtain a main orientation in structured spaces. Since the guidance system is related to a spatial reference system, the vanishing point is used like a virtual compass that helps the blind to orient him- or herself towards a goal. Reinforced with fuzzy decision rules, the system supports the blind in avoiding obstacles, thus the blind person is able to cross structured spaces and avoid obstacles without the need for a cane.

scholarly journals Design and Development of a Wearable Assistive Device Integrating a Fuzzy Decision Support System for Blind and Visually Impaired People

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1082
Author(s):  
Yassine Bouteraa
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Decision Support System ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Support System ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
Impaired People

In this article, a new design of a wearable navigation support system for blind and visually impaired people (BVIP) is proposed. The proposed navigation system relies primarily on sensors, real-time processing boards, a fuzzy logic-based decision support system, and a user interface. It uses sensor data as inputs and provides the desired safety orientation to the BVIP. The user is informed about the decision based on a mixed voice–haptic interface. The navigation aid system contains two wearable obstacle detection systems managed by an embedded controller. The control system adopts the Robot Operating System (ROS) architecture supported by the Beagle Bone Black master board that meets the real-time constraints. The data acquisition and obstacle avoidance are carried out by several nodes managed by the ROS to finally deliver a mixed haptic–voice message for guidance of the BVIP. A fuzzy logic-based decision support system was implemented to help BVIP to choose a safe direction. The system has been applied to blindfolded persons and visually impaired persons. Both types of users found the system promising and pointed out its potential to become a good navigation aid in the future.

scholarly journals An Obstacle Detection and Guidance System for Mobility of Visually Impaired in Unfamiliar Indoor Environments

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monther M. Al-Shehabi ◽  
Mustahsan Mir ◽  
Abdullah M. Ali ◽  
Ahmed M. Ali
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Obstacle Detection ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Indoor Environments
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