A System of Visually-impaired People Navigation Equipped with AR and RFID

• Project/Area Number: 24360209
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Civil engineering project/Traffic engineering
• Research Institution: Osaka City University
• Principal Investigator: UCHIDA Takashi 大阪市立大学, 大学院工学研究科, 教授 (60203535)
• Research Collaborator: NEKI Kazuyuki ; TAKAHASHI Mei
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥8,450,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,950,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
• Keywords: 交通工学 / ユニバーサルデザイン / ITS / 実験 / ケータイ / スマートホン / スマホ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to assist visually-impaired people to enjoy daily town walking by developing verbal message-based pedestrian navigation system. Through the experiments which simulate real situations and adopt developing systems, followings are achieved.
(1) Hybrid locating message: pin-point locating message applicable near public buildings and broad locating message called “verbal map” are distinguished. We propose a guideline of verbal maps which considers positioning error of GPS (Global Positioning System) and helps visually-impaired people to recognize nearby entities and routes.
(2) Verbal AR (Augmented Reality) and “Verbal Sketch”: We conducted experiments where an AR application program provides navigation messages. The result generates a new concept of “Verbal Sketch” which extends “Verbal Map.”

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 視覚障碍者向け音声ARアプリの地物記述ガイドライン (2013)
  • Author(s): 高橋咲衣, 根木和幸，内田敬
  • Journal Title: 第33回交通工学研究発表会論文集 Volume: 33 Pages: 509-514
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 視覚障碍者の外出意欲増進に資する「ことばの地図」ナビシステム (2015)
  • Author(s): 松浦啓介、高橋咲衣、吉田長裕、内田敬
  • Organizer: 土木学会関西支部年次学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 摂南大学（大阪府・寝屋川市）
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-30
• [Presentation] 視覚障碍者向け音声ナビの地物データ入力システム (2014)
  • Author(s): 小谷智也、内田敬
  • Organizer: 土木学会関西支部年次学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪産業大学（大阪府・大東市）
  • Year and Date: 2014-05-31
• [Presentation] 視覚障碍者街歩き支援ナビのための「ことばの地図」ガイドライン (2013)
  • Author(s): 根木和幸，内田敬
  • Organizer: 土木学会第68回年次学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 日本大学生産工学部津田沼キャンパス