BlindAid Semester 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

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

System Design ➲ RFID instrumentation Standards for materials, range, and protocols

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 = $ 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 4 th Floor 3 rd Floor Start 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! ➲

Thank you!