BlindAidSemester Final Presentation

Sandra Mau, Nik Melchior, and Maxim

Makatchev

Outline

➲ Motivation & Background Why we did it

➲ Project Overview What we did

➲ Methodology How we did it

➲ System Design What features it has

➲ Evaluation Why it works

➲ Video Demo How it works

➲ Future Work What we will continue to do

➲ Website➲ Conclusion

Motivation & Background

➲ Little developed for indoor navigation (Electronic Orientation Aids)

➲ Past attempts: Talking Signs & Marco (IR) Verbal Landmarks (FM radio)

➲ Barriers of the past Cost!

to instrument environment & receiver itself Capability and usefulness

IR requires line-of-sight, active transmission requires power

Not widely implemented

Project Overview

➲ Electronic Orientation Aid for indoor navigation (wayfaring)

➲ BlindAid operates in buildings instrumented with passive RFID tags

➲ User has an RFID tag reader attached to cell phone

➲ System localizes and performs waypoint path planning

➲ Interface is primarily speech since we want to keep hands free

Methodology

➲ Review of literature and existing technology➲ Blind and Vision Rehabilitative Services of

Pittsburgh Interviews and ethnographies with members of

staff and clients Orientation and mobility training Rehabilitation Dormitories for clients during training

Methodology

Methodology

Methodology

System Design

➲ RFID instrumentation Instrumentation is necessary given current state

of computer senses Tags are cheap: $0.20 for passive tags with 10m

range Tags are small: 10cm x 1cm

http://www.alientechnology.com/

System Design

➲ RFID instrumentation Standards for materials, range, and protocols

http://www.symbol.com/

System Design

➲ Cell phones Commodity hardware Already have many

necessary technologies Microphone Speaker Java Bluetooth Keypad Screen readers Compasses and RFID readers

coming soon?

Evaluation

➲ Does it foster good human-robot interaction? Interface geared towards needs of blind

Vocal and tactile I/O Hands free but unobstructed hearing

System provides appropriate instructions System is flexible with user options System is extensible for future upgrades

➲ Does it empower the user? Allows user to be more independent traveler Fosters independence and dignity

➲ Is the implementation cost-effective?

Instrumenting environment NSH: 330 tags = $66 Wean: 1376 tags = $275.20

Handheld device Cell phones + service (a must already!) RFID reader

Evaluation

“Cross of Pain” Analysis

➲ Things: Morphology & Instrumentation

Cell phone with Internet access With Bluetooth will free hand RFID reader RFID tag network

Features Text to speech Voice command recognition Navigation path-planning software Location tracking and Path updates

“Cross of Pain” Analysis

➲ Transaction: Device to Human

Voice prompts by software to guide user Vocal directions Choice of vocal or tactile input

Device to Environment RFID reader picks up tag’s induced signal Tag looked-up in map downloaded from online

database

Human to Environment Human follows direction given by device to navigate

the halls

“Cross of Pain” Analysis

➲ Human interaction: Increased mobility and independence of visually

impaired The form and interaction can be extended for

navigational use in general, not just the blind Gives the general user knowledge of environment Product not associated with disability, thus less of a

social stigma for the blind

“Cross of Pain” Analysis

➲ Cosmos: Individual: Dignity fostered by increased

independence, self-reliance and social adequacy

Families: Feel better General community: Make the community

accessible to all individuals and the individuals accessible for the community

Academic community: Research and development

Government: Facilitating assistance and equality

Demonstration

Navigating from the NSH main entrance to the classroom.

Newell Simon Hall Wean Hall

4th Floor

3rd Floor

Start

Elevators

Stairs

Stairs

Library

Elevators

Stairs

End

Stairs

Elevators

Video: following the route

Alternative scenarios

Veering off the route:

User requests assistance in re-routing

User cancels navigation assistance

System issues “off-the-route” warning and offers an assistance in returning to the route.

System issues “off-the-route” warning and offers an assistance in re-routing.

Video: veering off the route

Future work

➲ User Studies

➲ Instrumenting environment: Optimal locations for RFID tags Optimal RFID range and coverage Automated mapping of tags

➲ Future add ons: Adding a compass for absolute orientation GPS for outdoor navigation with route planning

➲ Interaction: Generating optimal route based on user preferences Directing a user to resolve ambiguity about the user

location and orientation Vocal and tactile input and output

Website

➲ Blind accessible!

➲ http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~phri/BLINDAID/

Thank you!