1Electrical and Computer Engineering

Aura Ganz, James Schafer, Yang Tao,Carole Wilson, Meg Robertson & Laura Bozeman

Indoor Navigation for the Visually Impaired

2Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction• What is PERCEPT?• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results• Why Smartphones?• PERCEPT Now and Future• Q & A

3Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Background

• Provides Indoor Navigation Instructions to the Blind and Visually Impaired (Orientation Aid)

• User Friendly

• Technology used is affordable not only for user, but for businesses and public venue

• Customized Instructions

• Updated Navigation Instructions by scanning door tag

4Electrical and Computer Engineering

Design Guidelines

Guided by an orientation and mobility instructor from Mass Commission for the Blind• Percept does not replace mobility aids

currently used by the visually impaired (cane, dog)

• Percept is an orientation aid used in conjunction with mobility aids

• Enables users to independently navigate in unfamiliar areas

5Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction

• What is PERCEPT?• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results• Why Smartphones?• PERCEPT Now and Future• Q & A

6Electrical and Computer Engineering

What is PERCEPT?

• Provides Indoor Navigation Instructions to the Blind and Visually Impaired (Orientation Aid)

• End-User– Simple scanning device that the user interacts

through touch• Indoor Environment – Contains tags that can be scanned by End-User

• Result of this scanning interaction– Navigation instructions provided to End-User from

where they are scanning to desired destination

7Electrical and Computer Engineering

Video Lucy Glove

• http://youtu.be/s23VVhGXnBw

8Electrical and Computer Engineering

Video PERCEPT Overview

• http://youtu.be/cmabcthLAUc

9Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction• What is PERCEPT?

• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results

• Why Smartphones?• PERCEPT Now and Future• Q & A

10Electrical and Computer Engineering

Phase Two Trial Participants

Field Response Number of Responses

Gender Male 8Female 12

     

Age ( in years )

age <  20 220 <= age < 30 230 <= age < 40 240 <= age < 50 250 <= age < 60 960 <= age < 70 280 <= age < 90 1

     

Highest Education Level

GED 2High School 1Some College 6Undergraduate 

Degree 9

Masters Degree 2

Field Response Number of Responses

Level of Blindness

Blind 9Partial Vision 11

     Blind Since 

BirthYes 5No 15

     

Navigation Aid

Cane 10Guide Dog 7No Mobility 

Aid 3     Received O&M Training

Yes 19

No 1

11Electrical and Computer Engineering

Example of Trial Flow

PATH ID

SOURCE TO DESTINATION FLOOR

S1 Entrance to Elevator 1S2 Elevator to 312 3S3 312 to Elevator 3S4 Elevator to 302 3S5 302 to Elevator 3

S6Elevator to Emergency Exit 3

S7Emergency Exit to Elevator 3

S8 Elevator to Restroom 3S9 Restroom to Elevator 3S10 Elevator to Exit 1

Entrance

Elevator

Elevator

Room 312 Room 302

E-ExitRestroom

M or W

Floor 1

Floor 3

12Electrical and Computer Engineering

Video Excerpts from Percept Trials

13Electrical and Computer Engineering

Summary of Qualitative Results

Qualitative Assessment % that Agree

Like Percept 100%

PERCEPT would benefit them 85%

PERCEPT enables independence

85%

PERCEPT is Intuitive 90%

Receiving updated directions from any door to be very beneficial

100%

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Feedback: Improvements Requested by Participants• Directions need to include proximity or given in

feet/steps 75%• Dog users – change instructions for dogs (86%)• Use smartphone – 30%• User preferences-– Adjust voice pace – 60%– Brief directions just mention left/right/……

(15%)• More discrete design than glove– Blend in with general public

15Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction• What is PERCEPT?• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results

• Why Smartphones?• PERCEPT Now and Future• Q & A

16Electrical and Computer Engineering

Why Smartphones?

17Electrical and Computer Engineering

Why Smartphones?

18Electrical and Computer Engineering

Smartphone in the Blind and Visually Impaired Community• Smartphones and Tablets are a trending technology being

used by the Blind & Visually Impaired• These devices provide many services:

– Currency Reader– Object Identifier– Color Identifier– Audible Books– OCR (Capture text with camera and read out loud)– Accessible Web Browsing, Email, & Phone– And much more!

• Expensive customized devices are now being replaced by an affordable App

19Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Smartphone Video

• http://youtu.be/iiWjvzpsbRg

20Electrical and Computer Engineering

Example of How PERCEPT App Uses Gestures

21Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction• What is PERCEPT?• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results• Why Smartphones?

• PERCEPT Now and Future• Q & A

22Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Now

• Applied for several grants and funding opportunities to further progress the system

• PERCEPT Pilot Deployment in MBTA

• PERCEPT Pilot in UMASS Administrative Building

23Electrical and Computer Engineering

PERCEPT Workshop Presentation Flow

• Introduction• What is PERCEPT?• Overview of PERCEPT Trials and Results• Why Smartphones?• PERCEPT Now and Future

• Q & A

24Electrical and Computer Engineering

Thank You

• Questions