Inertial-based indoor backtracking and wayfinding aid for blind travelers

! 项目摘要 本申请涉及支持视力障碍者独立旅行的技术。 具体而言，该项目主要涉及室内导航，这是独立生活的必要活动。 我们将开发一个系统，以iPhone应用程序的形式，将支持两种操作模式：路径回溯， 这使得人们能够重新追踪以前走过的路径，但在相反的方向，而不需要地图， 环境;以及基于地图的寻路功能，支持成熟的寻路功能， 当建筑物的地图以数字形式可用时。 我们的系统将使用智能手机上的惯性和磁性传感器跟踪步行者的位置， 放在步行者的裤子口袋里与大多数其他拟议的寻路系统不同，它不需要外部 基础设施（如射频或红外信标）。该系统将专门设计，以考虑到 描述了没有视力的行走的特殊特征。在这个项目中开发的算法将在 WeAllWalk是从多个盲人步行者收集的惯性数据的大型数据集，作为先前项目的一部分。三个用户 我们会进行研究，以评估建议的系统所带来的效益，研究对象包括14名失明人士。 该项目的具体目标简述如下。 具体目标1：走廊网络中的鲁棒路径回溯辅助。这一目标下的工作将落实 一种回溯策略，适用于具有简单互连走廊拓扑结构的建筑物， 在没有视力的情况下行走时，通常会遇到具有挑战性的现实世界情况。其中包括： 以不规则的步态移动（例如，当避开障碍物时）;撞到障碍物，墙壁或其他人; 电话的无意或有意运动（例如，接听电话）。 具体目标2：将回溯支持扩展到开放空间环境。在开放空间中导航 例如霍尔斯和庭院，对盲人旅行者来说尤其具有挑战性。我们将用一个系统来实现和测试 在开阔的空间里方便回溯我们的方法基于一个简单的航位推算策略， 强大的步数计算模块，加上航向测量，具有特殊规定，以确保 在路径的开始处正确对齐。 具体目标3：在地图中自我定位和寻路。本项目组件将构建一个完整的 导航系统，依赖于已转换为适当数字格式（GeoJSON）的平面图。 功能将包括自我定位和生成到目的地的方向。这方面的大部分工作 将基于前两个目标中开发的技术。 !

! Project Summary This application is concerned with technology that supports independent travel by people with visual impairment. Specifically, this project is primarily concerned with indoor navigation, a necessary activity for independent living. We will develop a system, in the form of an iPhone app, that will support two modes of operation: path backtracking, which enables one to re-trace a path previously traveled, but in the reverse direction, without the need for a map of the environment; and map-based wayfinding, which supports full-blown wayfinding functionalities, and is enabled when a map of the building is available in digital form. Our system will track the location of a walker using the inertial and magnetic sensors on the smartphone, which is kept in the walker’s pants pocket. Unlike most other proposed wayfinding systems, it will require no external infrastructure (such as radiofrequency or infrared beacons). The system will be specifically designed to take into account the peculiar characters of walking without sight. The algorithms developed in this project will be tested on WeAllWalk, a large data set of inertial data collected from multiple blind walkers as part of a prior project. Three user studies with 14 blind subjects will be conducted to assess the benefit provided by the proposed system. The Specific Aims of this project are briefly summarized below. Specific Aim 1: Robust path backtracking assistance in a corridor network. Work under this aim will implement a backtracking strategy for buildings characterized by a simple topology of interconnecting corridors, with special care given to challenging real-world situations typically encountered when walking without sight. These include: moving with irregular gait (e.g. when avoiding an obstacle); bumping into obstacles, walls, or other people; involuntary or intentional motion of the phone (e.g. to pick up a call). Specific Aim 2: Extend backtracking support to open space environments. Navigating through open spaces such as halls and courtyards is particularly challenging for blind travelers. We will implement and test with a system that facilitates backtracking in open spaces. Our approach is based on a simple dead-reckoning strategy, built on a robust step counting module coupled with heading direction measurements, with special provisions to ensure correct alignment at the beginning of the path. Specific Aim 3: Self-localization in a map and wayfinding. This project component will build a complete wayfinding system, relying on a floor plan that has been converted into an appropriate digital format (GeoJSON). Functionalities will include self-localization and generation of directions to a destination. Much of the work in this aim will be based on technology developed in the prior two aims. !