2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The research for a development of the navigation system for the visually impaired.
| Project/Area Number |
15500390
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
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| Research Institution | Tokai University |
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Principal Investigator |
MAGATANI Kazushige Tokai University, School of Information Technology and Electronics, Professor, 電子情報学部, 教授 (00181610)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | The visually impaired / walk without help of others / Navigation system / GPS / Navigation line / Intelligent white cane |
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| Research Abstract |
There are approximately 300,00 visually impaired persons in Japan. Most of them are old and cannot make appropriate use of their white cane. Therefore, it is imperative to develop some instrument that support the independent activities of the visually impaired. 2 types of the navigation system were developed for this objective. One is an auto navigation system using GPS. This system uses GPS for positioning of a system user and guides the road information. This system mainly uses in outdoor. Another system enables the visually impaired to walk in dependently in an indoor space. This system can follow a colored navigation line that is set on the floor. In this system, a color sensor installed on a white cane senses the colored navigation line, and by vibration, the system informs the visually impaired that he/she is walking along the navigation line.
In GPS navigation system, a voice guidance system that guides road information by artificial voice and a self positioning system that estimates an users position when GPS does not use. Especially, synchronizing method between GPS and a self positioning system were developed. Developed method make possible to obtain an user's position smoothly.
In a indoor system, a white cane that detects colored navigation line (called intelligent white cane) is developed. This system was tested by normal subjects. From this experiment, optical beacons and a receiver for these beacons are used in this system. The optical beacons are set on the ceiling and emit the position code as an infrared signal. The receiver receives this signal form the beacons and notifies map information to the user by a pre-recorded voice. And a brand new white cane that can detect 8 or more colored navigation lines is also developed.
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