Different approaches to aiding blind persons in mobility and navigation in the "naviton" and "sound of vision" projects

P. Strumillo

M. Bujacz

P. Baranski

P. Skulimowski

P. Korbel

M. Owczarek

K. Tomalczyk

A. Moldoveanu

R. Unnthorsson

pp. 435-468

in: Edwige Pissaloux (ed), Mobility of visually impaired people, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

In this chapter, we summarize several years of research efforts aimed at building ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) based systems for aiding the blind in travel and navigation at the Lodz University of Technology, mainly as part of the "Naviton" project (http://www.naviton.pl), from a Polish Ministry of Higher Education grant. We report on different approaches we undertook in these challenging goals which comprise the following prototype solutions: (1) sonified stereovision system for obstacle avoidance and environment imaging, (2) radio beacons for local navigation, (3) remote assistance system, (4) mobile navigation applications, (5) real-time tracking of public transport vehicles, (6) haptic imaging . We shortly describe these technologies and discuss user feedback from the trials of these technological aids. Finally, we point out the key objectives and first results of a Horizon 2020 project entitled "Sound of Vision: natural sense of vision through acoustics and haptics" (http://www.soundofvision.net) that started in 2015.