RESUMEN
Given the growth in the numbers of visually impaired (VI) people in low-income countries, the development of affordable electronic travel aid (ETA) systems employing devices, sensors, and apps embedded in ordinary smartphones becomes a potentially cost-effective and reasonable all-in-one solution of utmost importance for the VI. This paper offers an overview of recent ETA research prototypes that employ smartphones for assisted orientation and navigation in indoor and outdoor spaces by providing additional information about the surrounding objects. Scientific achievements in the field were systematically reviewed using PRISMA methodology. Comparative meta-analysis showed how various smartphone-based ETA prototypes could assist with better orientation, navigation, and wayfinding in indoor and outdoor environments. The analysis found limited interest among researchers in combining haptic interfaces and computer vision capabilities in smartphone-based ETAs for the blind, few attempts to employ novel state-of-the-art computer vision methods based on deep neural networks, and no evaluations of existing off-the-shelf navigation solutions. These results were contrasted with findings from a survey of blind expert users on their problems in navigating in indoor and outdoor environments. This revealed a major mismatch between user needs and academic development in the field.
Asunto(s)
Teléfono Inteligente , Personas con Daño Visual , Ceguera , HumanosRESUMEN
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.