Abstract
According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, Africa accounts for 10% of the global visually impaired persons (VIPs). This visual impairment burden is exacerbated by the shortage of specialist medical human resources, orientation and mobility specialists, and high cost of assessing primary eye care services. These render the majority of VIPs to rely heavily on human-assisted guides and ineffective navigation aids for their daily routines and movements. A viable technological solution that can fill this void and meet these mobility needs is the Internet of Things (IoT). This chapter provides an assessment of smart IoT mobility solutions pertinent to the African context. Furthermore, the barriers to the realization of technology domestication as well as growth catalysts are examined. Lastly, this chapter proffers technical recommendations for sustainable domestication of smart IoT mobility solutions for VIPs in Africa.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abdul, B. (2015a). How to harness mobile technology for services of persons with visual impairment in Africa. Beyond 2015: Delivering on the agenda for persons with visual impairment in Africa. In Proceeding of Sixth Africa Forum, Kampala, Uganda (pp. 325–330).
Abdul, B. (2015b). Technology transfer as a vehicle of ICT accessibility for all. Beyond 2015: Delivering on the agenda for persons with visual impairment in Africa. In Proceeding of Sixth Africa Forum, Kampala, Uganda (pp. 325–330).
Agarwal, A., & Steele, A. (2016). Disability considerations for infrastructure programmes. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08954ed915d3cfd0001c4/EoD_HDYr3_21_40_March_2016_Disability_Infrastructure.pdf.
Akubue, A. (2000). Appropriate technology for socioeconomic development in third world countries. The Journal of Technology Studies, 26(1), 33–43. https://doi.org/10.21061/jots.v26i1.a.6
AMD Alliance International. (2010). The global economic cost of visual impairment. Retrieved May 19, 2018, from http://www.icoph.org/dynamic/attachments/resources/globalcostofvi_finalreport.pdf.
Belay, T. E. (2005). African perspective on visual impairments – ICT’s and policies: A personal experience, a variety of perspectives and technological solution. A paper presented to UNESCO at the World Summit on the Information Society Workshop on ICT and persons with disabilities.
Berker, T. (2006). Domestication of media and technology (1st publ. ed.). UK: Open University Press.
BeSpecular. (2016). What is BeSpecular. Retrieved December 6, 2018, from http://www.bespecular.com/en/.
BlindSA. (2017). Breakthrough in assistive devices by blind sa. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://blindsa.org.za/mobility/.
Cisco Systems. (2013). The internet of everything: Global private sector economic analysis. Cisco.
Cooke, J. G. (2010). Public health in Africa – A report of the CSIS global health policy center. Journal of Public Health in Africa, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2010.e8
Daugherty, P., Negm, W., Banerjee, P., & Alter, A. (2015). Driving unconventional growth through the industrial internet of things. Retrieved May 17, 2018, from https://www.accenture.com/mz-en/_acnmedia/Accenture/next-gen/reassembling-industry/pdf/Accenture-Driving-Unconventional-Growth-through-IIoT.pdf.
Davidson, O. R. (2001). CDM and technology transfer: African perspectives. Point de Vue, issue 14.
Disability Info South Africa. (2016). Assistive devices & equipment. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://disabilityinfosa.co.za/visual-impairments/assistive-devices-equipment/.
Dogo, E. M., Salami, A., & Salman, S. (2013). Feasibility analysis of critical factors affecting cloud computing in Nigeria. International Journal of Cloud Computing and Services Science, 2(4), 276–287. https://doi.org/10.11591/closer.v2i4.4162
Dogo, E. M., Salami, A. F., Aigbavboa, C. O., & Nkonyana, T. (2019). Taking cloud computing to the extreme edge: A review of mist computing for smart cities and industry 4.0 in Africa. In F. Al-Turjman (Ed.), Edge computing. Cham: Springer.
Domingo, M. C. (2012). An overview of the internet of things for people with disabilities. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 35(2), 584–596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2011.10.015
Du Toit, A. S. A. (2002). The information economy in Africa: Putting the power into the hands of the individual. In L. Banwell & M. Collier (Eds.), Human aspects of the Information Society: An international collection of papers (pp. 61–69). Newcastle upon Tyne: Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University.
Elmannai, W., & Elleithy, K. (2017). Sensor-based assistive devices for visually-impaired people: Current status, challenges, and future directions. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 17(3), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/s17030565
Evans, D. (2011). The internet of things: How the next evolution of the internet is changing everything. Document, Retrieved December 5, 2018, from http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=library/jrnart/4327029.
Evans, D. (2012). The internet of everything: How more relevant valuable connections will change the world. Cisco Systems.
FUTMinna. (2016). Development of GSM communication-based walking cane robot (GWCR) for enhancing ambulation. Retrieved December 6, 2018, from https://seet.futminna.edu.ng/departments/Mechatronics_Engineering/index.php/about-us/major-achievements.
Future Market Insights. (2018). Internet of things security product market to register a staggering expansion at 14.9% CAGR through 2027. Web News Wire, SyndiGate Media Inc.
Gardašević, G., Veletić, M., Maletić, N., Vasiljević, D., Radusinović, I., Tomović, S., & Radonjić, M. (2017). The IoT architectural framework, design issues and application domains. Wireless Personal Communications, 92(1), 127–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-016-3842-3
Golomski, W. A. J., & Golomski, W. A. (2002). A review of: “Methodological and technological issues in technology transfer: A special report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change” Bert Metz et al. (editors). Cambridge University Press. IIE Transactions, 34(6), 587–589.
Harvard Business Review. (2014). Internet of things: Science fiction or business fact? Retrieved May 13, 2018, from https://hbr.org/resources/pdfs/comm/verizon/18980_HBR_Verizon_IoT_Nov_14.pdf.
IT News Africa. (2015). African inventor tackles visual impairment with ThinkAndZoom. Retrieved June, 20, 2018, from http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2015/07/exclusive-african-inventor-tackles-visual-impairment-with-thinkandzoom/.
Jafarieh, H. (2001). Technology transfer to developing countries: A quantitative approach. University of Salford. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection database. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/301583265.
Kuper, H., Polack, S., Eusebio, C., Mathenge, W., Wadud, Z., & Foster, A. (2008). A case-control study to assess the relationship between poverty and visual impairment from cataract in Kenya, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. PLoS Medicine, 5(12), e244. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050244
Lie, M., & Sørensen, K. H. (1996). Making technology our own? Oslo: Scandinavian University Press. Retrieved from http://libris.kb.se/resource/bib/7168670
Maskus, K. E., Hoekman, B., & Saggi, K. (2004). Transfer of technology to developing countries: Unilateral and multilateral policy options. Policy Research Working Paper Series, issue 3332. Retrieved from http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/wbkwbrwps/3332.htm.
Mattern, F., & Floerkemeier, C. (2010). From the internet of computers to the internet of things. In From active data management to event-based systems and more (pp. 242–259). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Mell, P., & Grance, T. (2011). The NIST definition of cloud computing. Gaithersburg, MD: Computer Security Division, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Minerva, R., Biru, A., & Rotondi, D. (2015). Towards a definition of the internet of things (IoT). IEEE Internet of Things. Retrieved from iot.ieee.org.
Mitchell, S., Villa, N., Stewart-Weeks, M., & Lange, A. (2013). The internet of everything for cities: Connecting people, process, data, and things to improve the ‘livability’ of cities and communities. Cisco Systems.
Mutele, N. P., & Odeku, K. O. (2013). The role of an instructor in managing orientation and mobility of students with visual impairments at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. Journal of Social Sciences, 36(2), 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2013.11893185
Neves, P. C., & Bernardino, J. (2015). Big data in the cloud: A survey. Open Journal of Big Data (OJBD), 1(2), 1–18.
Okpanachi, M. (2018, Researchers and students of FUT Minna develop multiple operator-enabled SIM card and digital walking stick. TechNext. Retrieved from https://technext.ng/2018/05/24/researchers-students-fut-minna-develop-simless-operator-digital-walking-stick/.
Omede, A. A. (2015). The challenges of educating the visually impaired and quality assurance in tertiary institutions of learning in Nigeria. International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 7(7), 129–133. https://doi.org/10.5897/IJEAPS2015.0407
Onwuka, I. E., Oladepo, O., John, A., & Mark, A. (2017). A mobility support device (smart walking stick) for the visually impaired. International Journal of Computer and Information Technology, 6(4), 196–202.
Pascolini, D., & Mariotti, S. P. (2012). Global estimates of visual impairment: 2010. The British Journal of Ophthalmology, 96(5), 614–618. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol- 2011-300539
Patel, S. J. (1972). UNCTAD-III and the transfer of technology to developing countries. Foreign Trade Review, 7(3), 262–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/0015732515720305
Patel, S. J. (1974). The technological dependence of developing countries. The Journal of Modern African Studies, 12(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022278X00008946
Redor, D., & Saadi, M. (2011). International technology transfer to developing countries: When is it immiserizing? Revue D’Économie Politique, 121(3), 409–433. Retrieved from EconLit database. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/43859919
Resnikoff, S., Pascolini, D., Etya’ale, D., Kocur, I., Pararajasegaram, R., Pokharel, G. P., & Mariotti, S. P. (2004). Global data on visual impairment in the year 2002. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 82(11), 844. Retrieved from MEDLINE database. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15640920
Saad, M. (2000). Development through technology transfer: Creating new organisational and cultural understanding. Intellect. Retrieved from http://www.vlebooks.com/vleweb/product/openreader?id=none&isbn=9781841508207&uid=none.
Sachs, J. D. (2015). Age of sustainable development. New York: Columbia University Press.
Silverstone, R., & Haddon, L. (1996). Design and the domestication of information and communication technologies: Technical change and everyday life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Smith, T. S. T., Frick, K. D., Holden, B. A., Fricke, T. R., & Naidoo, K. S. (2009). Potential lost productivity resulting from the global burden of uncorrected refractive error. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87(6), 431. Retrieved from MEDLINE database. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19565121
Snyder, T., & Byrd, G. (2017). The internet of everything. Computer, 50(6), 8–9. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2017.179
Temuçin, H., Keçeli, A. S., Kaya, A., Yaliç, H. Y., & Tekinerdogan, B. (2018). A cloud-based big data system to support visually impaired people. In Computational intelligence for multimedia big data on the cloud with engineering applications. Elsevier Academic Press. Retrieved from http://www.narcis.nl/publication/RecordID/oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs%2F540636
ThinkandZoom. (2018). ThinkandZoom – Hands free visual magnification powered by the human mind. Retrieved Jun 20, 2018, from http://thinkandzoom.com/.
Thylefors, B., Négrel, A. D., Pararajasegaram, R., & Dadzie, K. Y. (1995). Global data on blindness. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 73(1), 115. Retrieved from MEDLINE database. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7704921
UNESCO. (2013). The ICT opportunity for a disability-inclusive development framework: New action-oriented report. Retrieved December 6, 2018, from https://en.unesco.org/news/ict-opportunity-disability-inclusive-development-framework-new-action-oriented-report.
United Nations. (1995). Technology transfer, negotiation and acquisition in the context of promoting the African Economic Community. In ECA African Regional Conference on Science and Technology Meeting. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: UN.
United Nations. (2016). Global sustainable development report. New York. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/globalsdreport/.
Vasco Lopes, N., Pinto, F., Furtado, P., & Silva, J. (2014). IoT architecture proposal for disabled people. In 2014 IEEE 10th International Conference on Wireless and Mobile Computing, Networking and Communications (WiMob) (pp. 152–158). https://doi.org/10.1109/WiMOB.2014.6962164.
Vermesan, O., & Friess, P. (2012). Internet of things: Converging technologies for smart environments. Aalborg: River Publishers.
Wallace, B. (2005). Becoming part of the solution: The engineer’s guide to sustainable development. Reston, VA: ASCE Publications.
Weber, R. H. (2010). Internet of things – New security and privacy challenges. Computer Law and Security Review: The International Journal of Technology and Practice, 26(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2009.11.008
World Bank. (2008). Global economic prospects 2008: Technology diffusion in the developing world. Washington, DC: World Bank Group. Retrieved 12 December 2018 from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/827331468323971985/Global-economic-prospects-2008-technology-diffusion-in-the-developing-world
World Health Organization. (2010). Global data on impairments 2010. Retrieved May, 17, 2018, from http://www.who.int/blindness/GLOBALDATAFINALforweb.pdf.
World Health Organization. (2011). World health statistics 2011. Retrieved May, 19, 2018, from http://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2011/en/index.html.
Yang, Y., Wu, L., Yin, G., Li, L., & Zhao, H. (2017). A survey on security and privacy issues in internet-of-things. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 4(5), 1250–1258. https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2017.2694844
Zelenika, I., & Pearce, J. (2014). Innovation through collaboration: Scaling up solutions for sustainable development. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 16(6), 1299–1316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-014-9528-7
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Salami, A.F., Dogo, E.M., Nwulu, N.I., Paul, B.S. (2020). Toward Sustainable Domestication of Smart IoT Mobility Solutions for the Visually Impaired Persons in Africa. In: Paiva, S. (eds) Technological Trends in Improved Mobility of the Visually Impaired. EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16450-8_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16450-8_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16449-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16450-8
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)