Abstract
Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs) improve the mobility of visually-impaired persons, but it is not easy to develop an ETA satisfying all the factors needed for reliable object detection, effective notification, and actual usability. In this study, the authors developed an easy-to-use ETA having the function of reliable object detection and its successful feedback to the user by tactile stimulation. Seven ultrasonic sensors facing in different directions detect obstacles in the walking path, while vibrators in the tactile display stimulate the hand according to the distribution of obstacles. The detection of ground drop-offs activates the electromagnetic brakes linked to the rear wheels. To verify the feasibility of the developed ETA in the outdoor environment, walking tests by blind participants were performed, and the evaluation of safety to ground drop-offs was carried out. From the experiment, the feasibility of the developed ETA was shown to be sufficient if the sensor ranges for hanging obstacle detection is improved and learning time is provided for the ETA. Finally, the light-weight and low cost ETA designed and assembled based on the evaluation of the developed ETA is introduced to show the improvement of portability and usability, and is compared with the previously developed ETAs.
Highlights
To a visually-impaired person, it is very important to obtain spatial information, including the locations of obstacles and walkways for moving safely; they have used white canes as mobility tools—a long, white cane is “traditional” and the primary mobility tool
The feasibility of the developed Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs) was shown to be sufficient if the sensor ranges for hanging obstacle detection is improved and learning time is provided for the ETA
The wearable-type navigation device has the advantage of portability and free hand; on the other hand, the vehicle-type navigation system proposed in this paper provides buffer space between the user and an unexpected obstacle, even if the obstacle detection fails
Summary
To a visually-impaired person, it is very important to obtain spatial information, including the locations of obstacles and walkways for moving safely; they have used white canes as mobility tools—a long, white cane is “traditional” and the primary mobility tool. An Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) is a device that collects environmental information and transmits it to the visually-impaired user to allow independent movement. ETAs detect obstacles in the user’s walking paths through the use of more than one sensor and provide the user with information on the obstacle distribution with various notification methods: sounds, vibrations, etc. Benjamin et al [1] developed a Laser Cane, which is a conventionally-shaped long cane that sends out three laser beams to detect overhead obstacles, obstacles at waist level, and drop-offs. Sonic Torch (Kay, 1964) [3], Nottingham Obstacle Detector (Armstrong, 1973) [4], Mowat sensor (Pressey, 1977) [5], and UltracaneTM [6] are examples of hand-held devices using ultrasonic sensors. Sonic Torch and Nottingham Obstacle Detector provide auditory output, whereas
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