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Robot-assisted wayfinding for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments

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Abstract

We present a robot-assisted wayfinding system for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments. The system consists of a mobile robotic guide and small passive RFID sensors embedded in the environment. The system is intended for use in indoor environments, such as office buildings, supermarkets and airports. We describe how the system was deployed in two indoor environments and evaluated by visually impaired participants in a series of pilot experiments. We analyze the system’s successes and failures and outline our plans for future research and development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Science Assistive Technology Laboratory (CSATL), Department of Computer Science, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322-4205

    Vladimir Kulyukin, Chaitanya Gharpure & John Nicholson

  2. Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322

    Grayson Osborne

Authors
  1. Vladimir Kulyukin
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  2. Chaitanya Gharpure
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  3. John Nicholson
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  4. Grayson Osborne
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Correspondence to Vladimir Kulyukin.

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Kulyukin, V., Gharpure, C., Nicholson, J. et al. Robot-assisted wayfinding for the visually impaired in structured indoor environments. Auton Robot 21, 29–41 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-006-7223-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-006-7223-8

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