U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
| Project Information | ||
| Project ID: | FHWA-PROJ-13-0082 | |
| Project Name: | Extended Event Horizon Navigation and Wayfinding for Blind and Visually Impaired Pedestrians in Unstructured Environments | |
| Project Status: | Active | |
| Start Date: | March 13, 2013 | |
| End Date: | December 31, 2015 | |
| Contact Information | ||
| Last Name: | Shurbutt | |
| First Name: | Jim | |
| Telephone: | 202-493-3420 | |
| E-mail: | jim.shurbutt@dot.gov | |
| Office: | Office of Safety Research and Development | |
| Team: | Human Factors Team [HRDS-30] | |
| Program: | Exploratory Advanced Research | |
| Project detail | ||
| Project Description: | In order to create a seamless navigation solution for blind or visually impaired persons, the objective of this research is to assist a blind or visually impaired person in navigating through large unstructured environments that the person might encounter in the course of daily life: parks, parking lots, airports, sports arenas, intersections, and pedestrian zones in general. The research proposed here fills in the gaps where global positioning system (GPS) navigation is not sufficient. The full navigation system will integrate GPS, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and stereo visual odometry (SVO) to accurately capture the movements of the pedestrian user (direction and distance). In urban areas where GPS satellites are easily visible, commercial handheld GPS units provide a good navigation solution. Where some but not all needed GPS satellites are visible, situational awareness is further enhanced via implementing techniques in GPS-degraded positioning. Where GPS is not available at all (including indoor environments), IMUs and SVO provide sufficient positioning accuracy. Wireless information from pedestrian signals further enhances safety and mobility for the blind or visually impaired pedestrian. | |
| Goals: |
In order to create a seamless navigation solution for blind or visually impaired persons, the objective of this research is to assist a blind or visually impaired person in navigating through large unstructured environments that the person might encounter in the course of daily life: parks, parking lots, airports, sports arenas, intersections, and pedestrian zones in general. The research proposed here fills in the gaps where global positioning system (GPS) navigation is not sufficient.
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| More Information URL(s): | ||
| Test Methodology: | Laboratory Development and Field Evaluation | |
| Expected Benefits: | Increased mobility, safety, and quality of life for visually impaired pedestrians. | |
| FHWA Topics: | Safety--Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety | |
| TRT Terms: | Pedestrian Visually Impaired Persons Wayfinding Safety Operations Research Global Positioning System |
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| FHWA Disciplines: | Civil Rights Safety |
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| Subject Areas: | Operations and Traffic Management Pedestrians and Bicyclists Policy Public Transportation Research Safety and Human Factors |
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