Abstract
In the Caribbean, the cost of technological aids to assist visually impaired persons with navigation is extravagant. Moreover, a recent effort by a student at the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus) to develop a low-cost SmartCane solution for this vulnerable group has been met with limited success. The SmartCane system which uses an ultra-sonic device mounted on a traditional white cane communicates the proximity of objects to the user via vibrations on a Bluetooth connected mobile device. However, the lack of a user-friendly interface, for the mobile application hinders the overall user experience. This research is aimed at developing a new mobile application that will improve the user experience. Application requirements will be gathered through the administration of surveys to visually impaired members of the Barbados Association for the Deaf and Blind. The mobile application is expected to provide visually impaired individuals with assistance in navigating to their desired destinations. Moreover when the mobile device is paired with the SmartCane system users will also have the benefit of obstacle avoidance. This student-led effort to integrate this vulnerable group into society is poised to move beyond the classroom and bring greater awareness of the need for low-cost assistive technological solutions in the Caribbean region.
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Als, A., King, A., Johnson, K., Sargeant, R. (2018). BluKane: An Obstacle Avoidance Navigation App to Assist the Visually Impaired. In: Miesenberger, K., Kouroupetroglou, G. (eds) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 10897. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94274-2_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94274-2_6
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