Article

Quality of life for the visually impaired is an urgent worldwide issue that needs
to be addressed. Obstacle detection is one of the most important navigation tasks
for the visually impaired. In this research, a novel range sensor placement
scheme is proposed in this paper for the development of obstacle detection
devices. Based on this scheme, two prototypes have been developed targeting at
different user groups.
This paper discusses the design issues, functional modules
and the evaluation tests carried out for both prototypes. Implications for
Rehabilitation Visual impairment problem is becoming more severe due to the
worldwide ageing population. Individuals with visual impairment require
assistance from assistive devices in daily navigation tasks. Traditional
assistive devices that assist navigation may have certain drawbacks, such as the
limited sensing range of a white cane. Obstacle detection devices applying the
range sensor technology can identify road conditions with a higher sensing range
to notify the users of potential dangers in advance.

Langue : ANGLAIS