A Navigation System for the Visually Impaired: A Fusion of Vision and Depth Sensor

[摘要] For a number of years, scientists have been trying to develop aids that can make visually impairedpeople more independent and aware of their surroundings. Computer-based automatic navigation toolsare one example of this, motivated by the increasing miniaturization of electronics and the improvementin processing power and sensing capabilities. This paper presents a complete navigation system basedon low cost and physically unobtrusive sensors such as a camera and an infrared sensor. The system isbased around corners and depth values from Kinect’s infrared sensor. Obstacles are found in imagesfrom a camera using corner detection, while input from the depth sensor provides the correspondingdistance. The combination is both efficient and robust. The system not only identifies hurdles butalso suggests a safe path (if available) to the left or right side and tells the user to stop, move left, or moveright. The system has been tested in real time by both blindfolded and blind people at different indoorand outdoor locations, demonstrating that it operates adequately.

[学科分类] 生物技术