An Interactive Model Based on a Mobile Application and Augmented Reality as a Tool to Support Safe and Efficient Mobility of People with Visual Limitations in Sustainable Urban Environments

Abstract

An increasing availability and reliability of open-source geographical resources, options in design of mobile applications together with smartphones of a high quality, featuring top cameras and number of sensors, bring us an extraordinary opportunity to provide the visually impaired people with relevant and comprehensible information on their vicinity, and thus to improve their mobility in a sustainable environment. The paper presents an interactive tool based on a mobile application created for mobile devices with Android operation system, and on using the augmented reality. It is a tool to support safe and efficient mobility of blind people and people with severe visual limitations in a sustainable urban environment. The essential benefit from using this tool lies in preventing risky, possibly dangerous and hardly accessible places. The first part briefly presents the problem of the visually impaired including the forms of the visual impairment, personal and economic costs for the entire society and the importance of improving the mobility of this group of people. The second part of the paper introduces the current state of the problem being solved as well as some basic tools which were developed to bring the surrounding environment closer to the visually impaired. Further, the process of the mobile application development is described. The application is meant to indicate information on places where the visually impaired users of the application are present while walking in an external environment (including the distance to their destination); the pilot testing of the application by a selected groups of the visually impaired is introduced, too.

A Systematic Literature Review of Handheld Augmented Reality Solutions for People with Disabilities

“…The usability analysis conducted in [ 54 ] collected data such as task completion, number of errors, the time required to complete the task, user rating of the experience, and amount of instruction required. The results of studies [ 54 , 61 ] show that previous experience with the technology is as important as instructions or tutorials for those who do not have experience. To avoid system errors, various challenges that users may face (such as lighting conditions affecting marker accuracy [ 55 ] or latency and processing time in collaborative AR games [ 69 ]) should be considered to minimize hazards and the negative consequences of accidental or unintended actions.…”

“…Research on image-enhancement applications for people with low vision has investigated various image transformations, including contrast enhancement, color transformation, intensity-edge enhancement, and magnification and image stabilization, as mentioned in [ 63 ]. Assistive systems for blind mobility usually provide non-visual (auditory) feedback [ 61 ], but when thinking of solutions that are accessible to all, all requirements must be accommodated in one solution. As mainstream AR technologies continue to advance, accessible spatial information will be available faster, in more contexts, and at a lower cost than ever before.…”

Enhancing Wayfinding Experience in Low-Vision Individuals through a Tailored Mobile Guidance Interface

“…Notably, mobile phone navigation applications are commonly used by individuals with LV for daily wayfinding [3]. Additionally, there have been several studies proposing mobile applications that offer visual guidance for individuals with LV [26,27]. Feedback from LV users who have experienced these tools consistently indicates that they find such systems both attractive and useful.…”

Sonification of Navigation Instructions for People with Visual Impairment

“…Computer vision analysis of satellite and street-level images is also used to detect mobility cues [39]. The recent introduction of disruptive applications of the AR technology has enabled the development of mobile applications that provide guidance through auditory and haptic messages as well as through visual representations of the pathway (e.g., obstacles, landmarks, points of interest) specifically designed for people with BVI [40,41,42].…”