New smartphone apps empower blind users to navigate indoor spaces

UC Santa Cruz professor of Computer Science and Engineering Roberto Manduchi has devoted much of his research career to creating accessible technology for the blind and visually impaired. Throughout years of working with these communities, he has learned that there is a particular need for tools to help with indoor navigation of new spaces.

Safer, scalable technology

Smartphones provide a great platform for hosting accessible technology because they are cheaper than a dedicated hardware system, have the support of the company's information technology teams, and are equipped with built-in sensors and accessibility features.

Using built-in sensors

Communicating directions 

Both systems give directions through spoken communication and can also be used with a smartwatch to supplement the instructions with vibrations. Overall, the researchers tried to minimize the amount of input given to the navigator so that they could focus on safety.

They also rely on the navigator to make judgements about where to turn, to account for any error in tracking. The system instructs a person to make their next directional change five meters before it anticipates the turn will occur, with directions like "at the upcoming junction, turn left," and the navigator can begin to find the turn with the help of their cane or guide dog.

Testing their systems in the Baskin Engineering building at UC Santa Cruz, the research team found that users were able to successfully navigate the many hallways and turns. The team will continue to polish their apps, which use the same interface but are separate for the ease of development.

Going forward, they will focus on integrating AI features that could allow a navigator to take a photo of their surroundings and get a scene description if they are in a particularly hard area to navigate, like an alcove of a building or a wide-open space. They also want to enhance the ability to access and download building maps, perhaps taking advantage of an open source software ecosystem to do so.

"I'm very grateful to the blind community in Santa Cruz, who gave me fantastic advice. [As engineers creating technology for the blind community], you have to be very, very careful and very humble, and start from the person who will use the technology, rather than from the technology itself," Manduchi said.

Source:

University of California - Santa Cruz

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