Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs
Currently, several outdoor navigation and orientation electronic traveling aid (ETA) solutions for visually impaired (VI) people are commercially available or in active development. This paper’s survey of blind experts has shown that after outdoor navigation, the second most important ETA...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/3/636 |
| _version_ | 1811187067495907328 |
|---|---|
| author | Darius Plikynas Arūnas Žvironas Andrius Budrionis Marius Gudauskis |
| author_facet | Darius Plikynas Arūnas Žvironas Andrius Budrionis Marius Gudauskis |
| author_sort | Darius Plikynas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Currently, several outdoor navigation and orientation electronic traveling aid (ETA) solutions for visually impaired (VI) people are commercially available or in active development. This paper’s survey of blind experts has shown that after outdoor navigation, the second most important ETA feature for VI persons is indoor navigation and orientation (in public institutions, supermarkets, office buildings, homes, etc.). VI persons need ETA for orientation and navigation in unfamiliar indoor environments with embedded features for the detection and recognition of obstacles (not only on the ground but also at head level) and desired destinations such as rooms, staircases, and elevators. The development of such indoor navigation systems, which do not have Global Positioning System (GPS) locational references, is challenging and requires an overview and evaluation of existing systems with different navigation technologies. This paper presents an evaluation and comparison of state-of-the-art indoor navigation solutions, and the research implications provide a summary of the critical observations, some insights, and directions for further developments. The paper maps VI needs in relation to research and development (R&D) trends using the evaluation criteria deemed most important by blind experts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:55:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48b6be4e8ea042618bf6be9672583aea |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:55:50Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-48b6be4e8ea042618bf6be9672583aea2022-12-22T04:20:20ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202020-01-0120363610.3390/s20030636s20030636Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User NeedsDarius Plikynas0Arūnas Žvironas1Andrius Budrionis2Marius Gudauskis3Department of Business Technologies and Entrepreneurship, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania;<email>arunas.zvironas@vgtu.lt</email> (A.Ž)Department of Business Technologies and Entrepreneurship, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania;<email>arunas.zvironas@vgtu.lt</email> (A.Ž)Department of Business Technologies and Entrepreneurship, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania;<email>arunas.zvironas@vgtu.lt</email> (A.Ž)Department of Business Technologies and Entrepreneurship, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania;<email>arunas.zvironas@vgtu.lt</email> (A.Ž)Currently, several outdoor navigation and orientation electronic traveling aid (ETA) solutions for visually impaired (VI) people are commercially available or in active development. This paper’s survey of blind experts has shown that after outdoor navigation, the second most important ETA feature for VI persons is indoor navigation and orientation (in public institutions, supermarkets, office buildings, homes, etc.). VI persons need ETA for orientation and navigation in unfamiliar indoor environments with embedded features for the detection and recognition of obstacles (not only on the ground but also at head level) and desired destinations such as rooms, staircases, and elevators. The development of such indoor navigation systems, which do not have Global Positioning System (GPS) locational references, is challenging and requires an overview and evaluation of existing systems with different navigation technologies. This paper presents an evaluation and comparison of state-of-the-art indoor navigation solutions, and the research implications provide a summary of the critical observations, some insights, and directions for further developments. The paper maps VI needs in relation to research and development (R&D) trends using the evaluation criteria deemed most important by blind experts.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/3/636visually impairedblindindoor navigationobject detection and recognitionelectronic travelling aidassistive device |
| spellingShingle | Darius Plikynas Arūnas Žvironas Andrius Budrionis Marius Gudauskis Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs Sensors visually impaired blind indoor navigation object detection and recognition electronic travelling aid assistive device |
| title | Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs |
| title_full | Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs |
| title_fullStr | Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs |
| title_short | Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs |
| title_sort | indoor navigation systems for visually impaired persons mapping the features of existing technologies to user needs |
| topic | visually impaired blind indoor navigation object detection and recognition electronic travelling aid assistive device |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/3/636 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dariusplikynas indoornavigationsystemsforvisuallyimpairedpersonsmappingthefeaturesofexistingtechnologiestouserneeds AT arunaszvironas indoornavigationsystemsforvisuallyimpairedpersonsmappingthefeaturesofexistingtechnologiestouserneeds AT andriusbudrionis indoornavigationsystemsforvisuallyimpairedpersonsmappingthefeaturesofexistingtechnologiestouserneeds AT mariusgudauskis indoornavigationsystemsforvisuallyimpairedpersonsmappingthefeaturesofexistingtechnologiestouserneeds |