A Cell Phone-Based Street Intersection Analyzer for Visually Impaired Pedestrians

描述(申请人提供)：一个基于手机的视障行人街道交叉口分析仪摘要项目摘要城市交叉口是盲人出行中最危险的部分之一。它们正变得越来越复杂，使得使用传统盲目定向和移动技术的安全穿越变得更加困难。为了缓解这个问题，我们建议开发和评估一个基于手机的系统来分析盲人或视障人士使用标准手机拍摄的街道交叉口图像，以提供实时反馈。在我们过去开发的使用计算机视觉算法来发现人行横道和人行横道信号灯的“CrossWatch”原型系统的基础上，我们将极大地增强该系统的功能，提供有关十字路口布局及其连接街道的身份的信息，是否存在停车标志、单向标志和其他指示道路权利的控件，以及集成了步行/不步行灯、倒计时器和其他红绿灯的计时信息。该系统将传达交叉口信息，并将使用合成语音和音频音调的组合，主动引导用户将自己与人行横道对齐。我们将进行人为因素研究，以优化系统功能和用户界面的配置，并开发互动培训应用程序，使用户掌握更好地使用系统的技能。这些训练应用程序作为补充交叉路口系统的额外手机软件实施，将训练用户在横穿人行横道时水平和向前握住摄像头，并尽量减少转向。交叉口分析和培训软件将免费下载到流行的手机上(如iPhone、Android或Symbian型号)。手机将不需要任何硬件修改或附加组件来运行该软件。最终，用户将能够将一整套这样的算法免费下载到他或她可能已经携带的手机上，而不必为每项功能携带单独的设备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A Cell Phone-Based Street Intersection Analyzer for Visually Impaired Pedestrians Abstract Project Summary Urban intersections are among the most dangerous parts of a blind person's travel. They are becoming increasingly complex, making safe crossing using conventional blind orientation and mobility techniques ever more difficult. To alleviate this problem, we propose to develop and evaluate a cell phone-based system to analyze images of street intersections, taken by a blind or visually impaired person using a standard cell phone, to provide real-time feedback. Building on our past work on a prototype "Crosswatch" system that uses computer vision algorithms to find crosswalks and Walk lights, we will greatly enhance the functionality of the system with information about the intersection layout and the identity of its connecting streets, the presence of stop signs, one-way signs and other controls indicating right-of-way, and timing information integrated from Walk/Don't Walk lights, countdown timers and other traffic lights. The system will convey intersection information, and will actively guide the user to align himself/herself with crosswalks, using a combination of synthesized speech and audio tones. We will conduct human factors studies to optimize the system functionality and the configuration of the user interface, as well as develop interactive training applications to equip users with the skills to better use the system. These training applications, implemented as additional cell phone software to complement the intersection system, will train users to hold the camera horizontal and forward and to minimize veer when traversing a crosswalk. The intersection analysis and training software will be made freely available for download onto popular cell phones (such as iPhone, Android or Symbian models). The cell phone will not need any hardware modifications or add-ons to run this software. Ultimately a user will be able to download an entire suite of such algorithms for free onto the cell phone he or she is already likely to be carrying, without having to carry a separate piece of equipment for each function.