360 degree imaging for navigation assistance for the visually impaired

360度成像技术主要与用于直接回放的视频采集相关联，例如集成在虚拟和增强现实应用、体育和娱乐中。然而，还没有大量使用这项技术来帮助用户完成他们获得生活质量改善的任务。为此，ImmerVision希望将其产品应用于“自动行人”导航，就像自动驾驶车辆已经受益于一系列传感系统一样。具体地说，该公司打算展示其360度硬件为视障社区提供导航辅助的好处，在这些社区，其独特的系统可能会提供相对于其他成像设备的关键优势，特别是传统的智能手机摄像头。该项目的动机是ImmerVision希望为善意运动技术做出贡献。在这方面，视障群体在日常生活中面临着巨大的挑战。白色手杖和导盲犬是基本的导航辅助工具，但信息技术在支持一般导航需求方面也发挥着越来越重要的作用，根据静态数据库提供用户环境的描述，并识别用户道路上的潜在障碍。还开发了原型技术，以在交叉路口提供反转向反馈。然而，尽管辅助技术最近取得了这些巨大的进步，但只需要帮助用户在十字路口安全通过的商用硬件的独立系统的解决方案，以及到达用户目标的最后几米的指导，例如门口入口，仍然难以捉摸。该项目旨在展示解决这两个问题的可行性，利用ImmerVision 360度成像设备内置的易于佩戴、不显眼的眼镜所具有的宽广视野和稳定图像的优势。

360 degree imaging technology has been associated primarily with video acquisition for direct playback, as integrated, for example, in virtual and augmented reality applications, sports, and entertainment. However, there has not been significant use of this technology to help users accomplish tasks in which they derive a quality-of-life improvement. To this end, Immervision wishes to apply its products to "autonomous pedestrian" navigation, much as autonomous vehicles already benefit from a range of sensing systems. Specifically, the company intends to demonstrate the benefits of its 360 degree hardware to provide navigation assistance for the visually impaired community, where its unique systems may offer a critical advantage over other imaging devices, in particular, conventional smartphone cameras. This project is motivated by Immervision's desire to contribute to the Technology for Good movement. In this respect, the visually impaired community faces significant challenges to navigation in the everyday world. White canes and guide dogs are essential navigation aids, but information technology is also playing an increasingly valuable role in supporting general navigation needs, offering descriptions of the user's environment based on static databases, and identifying potential obstacles in the user's path. Prototype technologies have also been developed to provide anti-veering feedback during intersection crossing. However, despite these recent tremendous advances in assistive technologies, solutions both for a stand-alone system requiring only commodity hardware that helps users safely cross at intersections, and guidance the last few meters of the way to the user's target, e.g., a doorway entrance, remain elusive. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of solutions to both these problems, taking advantage of the benefits of the wide field of view and stable imagery available from Immervision's 360 degree imaging devices built into easily wearable, unobtrusive glasses.