A comprehensive research on ensuring safe intersection crossing by visually impaired pedestrians.

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The research comprised of three objectives. The first objective was to improve the durability of tactile guidance surfaces of truncated domes and to determine the height at which these surfaces need to be repaired. Three types of tactile guidance surfaces, all made from a polyurethane resin, with different hardness levels were installed on crosswalks in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture. Longitudinal and repetitive measurements of the dome height suggested that the surfaces were more durable with decreasing hardness. This result was considered to be due to the fact that surfaces with lower hardness levels have higher elasticity, and thus can absorb forces from rolling tires of vehicles more effectively. The limit of detection by foot was 2 mm, suggesting that tactile guidance surfaces should be repaired prior to reaching this height.The second objective was to improve the accessibility of rotary intersections for visually impaired pedestrians. The rotary intersection in f … More ront of Mitaka station was redesigned due to poor performance results of independent crossing by visually impaired subjects in a previous field experiment. The crosswalk was reconstructed perpendicularly to the curb and new Braille tiles were installed on the sidewalk. A recent field experiment showed that the performance results of independent crossing were significantly improved.The third objective was to investigate whether the subsidiary task technique can be used to measure the psychological stress of visually impaired pedestrians. On-site testing was performed in-cooperation with a rehabilitation center in Ehime Prefecture. Trainees participating in the orientation and mobility training program were instructed to perform a subsidiary task while crossing a street independently. The subsidiary task involved pushing a hand-held switch every second at regular intervals. The trainees' performance on the subsidiary task while crossing improved as the training program progressed. The results indicated that it was possible to measure the psychological stress of visually impaired pedestrian using the subsidiary task technique. Less