TERRAIN - Independent mobility of visually impaired people in urban space through audio-tactile navigation
Overview
Background & policy context:
Mobility is an important factor in our everyday lives. Therefore, new, advanced systems of human-technology interaction should be developed, which will contribute to more safety, comfort and reliability in this area.
In urban environments, it is often difficult for blind and visually impaired people to find their way around. Lack of knowledge of the place and a lack of perception lead to fear of disorientation, accidents or collisions.
Objectives:
The aim of TERRAIN is to develop a portable assistance system to support the mobility of blind and visually impaired people in the inner-city environment. TERRAIN removes crucial obstacles to locomotion and navigation and strengthens the confidence of visually impaired and blind people in their own movement and mobility skills. Everyday trails can be covered independently; the range of movement is increased and participation in social life is improved.
Methodology:
The system combines navigation based on digital map data with camera-based image processing. This makes it easier to identify paths, obstacles, traffic lights, road crossings, buildings and other objects. In addition, a barrier-free, acoustic and haptic user interface is being developed that can be individually adapted to the needs and preferences of the users. A new mobile, wirelessly connected Braille display will also be integrated.
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