Real-time visible light communications-based positioning for the visually-challenged

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24300199
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: MAKINO Hideo 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (80115071)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 可視光通信 / LED / 魚眼カメラ / イメージセンサ / 音声案内 / 視覚障碍者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Visible Light Communications-based (VLC) systems for indoor positioning via high-speed fish-eye lens-equipped cameras have been found to be ideally-suited to audio-based navigation systems for the visually-impaired, as well as control systems for mobile robots. Its LED lights are dual-purpose in nature, serving as an economical means of illumination and data-transmission, with users receiving digitized location information that is updated at 1-second intervals. Since the lights operate at pre-determined illumination levels, the system requires no additional space, or power. And, because the fish-eye lens-equipped camera commands a 180-degree view of the ceiling, the number of detectable LEDs increases, improving overall positioning accuracy. The receiver detects the LEDs from the ceiling image. Then, variations in intensity at the center of each LED are stored as light signals using the high-speed image sensor.

Free Research Field

情報機器工学