SBIR Phase I: An Intelligent Travel Aid for Blind Pedestrians

9860040本文提出的第一阶段小企业创新研究工作的主要目标是研究一种新型电子旅行辅助设备（ETA）的可行性，该设备旨在帮助盲人或视障旅行者安全快速地穿越盲人行人面临的障碍物和其他危险。传统的ETA设计通常需要用户主动扫描环境进行障碍物检测。这个过程耗费时间，容易出错，需要旅行者不断的活动和有意识的努力。用户还必须规划出一条绕过障碍物的路径。这些设备中没有智能决策支持功能来帮助用户选择最佳路线，这是一种耗时的、有意识的努力，会降低步行速度。此外，所有基于声音反馈的ETAs都存在一个问题，那就是它们会干扰盲人通过听觉获取环境线索的能力。提出的新型ETA装置完全消除了这些缺点。在第一阶段的工作中，我们将建立一个独特的传感器头的原型，并开发障碍物检测算法。硬件实验将进行，以验证性能和速度。在第二阶段计划中，我们将建立一个完整的原型版本，具有所需的障碍物检测速度和准确性。我们将为设备实现几个增强功能，例如计算机控制的刹车，使用GPS设备的全球导航功能，以及确定方向的语音激活功能。将进行广泛的评估试验，并对设计进行相应的修改。考虑到大量的盲人和/或视障人士，高性能和低成本的旅行辅助装置的商业市场是巨大的。更重要的是，这些产品所产生的社会效益也是显著的。提出的智能ETA设备可以大大提高盲人/视障人士的行动能力和安全性。

9860040 The primary objective of the Phase I Small Business Innovation Research effort proposed herein is to investigate the feasibility of a novel electronic travel aid (ETA) device designed to help blind or visually impaired travelers to navigate safely and quickly among obstacles and other hazards faced by blind pedestrians. Conventional ETA designs often require users to actively scan the environment for obstacle detection. This procedure is timing consuming, error prone, and requires traveler's constant activity and conscious effort. The user also must plan a path around the obstacle. There is no intelligent decision support function in these devices to help the user to pickup an optimal routine, a time-consuming, conscious effort that reduces the walking speeds. Furthermore, one problem with all ETAs based on acoustic feedback is their interference with the blind person's ability to pick-up environmental cues through hearing. The proposed novel ETA device totally eliminates these drawbacks. In the proposed Phase 1 effort, we will build a prototype of the unique sensor head and develop the obstacle detection algorithms. Hardware experiments will be performed to validate the performance and speed. In the Phase II program, we will build a full-bloom version of the prototype with required obstacle detection speed and accuracy. We will implement several enhanced functions for the device, such as computer-controlled brakes, global navigation function using GPS device, and voice activated function for determining the direction. Extensive evaluation tests will be performed and the design will be modified accordingly. The commercial market for a high performance and low-cost travel aid device is large, considering the large population of blind and/or visually impaired persons. More importantly, the social benefit that stems from such products is also significant. The proposed intelligent ETA device allows a greatly enhanced mobility and safety of blind/ visually impaired people.