Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Auditive Navigation System for Visually Impaired Individuals in Indoor Spaces Using Augmented Reality

Abstract

Visual impairment affects individuals with complete or partial loss of vision. Visually impaired students in Colombian educational institutions face challenges when navigating indoors due to the lack of braille signage. This paper presents the development, implementation, and testing of an augmented reality (AR)-based mobile app that uses rMQR codes to play acoustic descriptions of locations. The application enhances the independence and mobility of visually impaired students in academic spaces. The process involved designing a navigation system, developing software using Unity and Vuforia, and evaluating the application's functionality, accuracy, stability, and performance. A group of thirty-six (36) students validated the software, and their feedback was gathered through a questionnaire using a 5-Likert scale. The results showed that the app had an accessible interface, provided useful information about spaces, and improved autonomy and safety. The app demonstrated fast and accurate code scanning, and its effectiveness in promoting independence, meeting expectations, and not interfering with mobility was validated. The findings emphasize the potential of AR-based applications in supporting visually impaired individuals and fostering social inclusion.

Keywords

rMQR codes, mobile application, visual impairment, augmented reality

PDF

References

  • L. Dandona, R. Dandona, “Revision of visual impairment definitions in the International Statistical Classification of Disease,” BMC Medicine, vol. 4, e7, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-4-7
  • Ministerio de Educación Nacional, Orientaciones complementarias para la atención de estudiantes con discapacidad visual en el marco de la Educación Superior Inclusiva, 2020, pp. 8-10.
  • I. Khan, S. Khusro, I. Ullah, “Technology-assisted white cane: Evaluation and future directions,” PeerJ, vol. 2018, no. 12, e6058. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6058
  • N. Martiniello, W. Wittich, “The association between tactile, motor and cognitive capacities and braille reading performance: a scoping review of primary evidence to advance research on braille and aging,” Disability and Rehabilitation, vol. 44, no. 11, pp. 2515-2536, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1839972
  • United Nations, The Right to Education of Persons with Disabilities - Committee on Rights of Persons with Disabilities holds Day of General Discussion, 2015.
  • World Health Organization, World report on vision, 2019.
  • P. Pamuji, S. J. Andajani, E. P. Sartinah, “The implementation of mobile apps for visually impaired students’ mobility in undergraduate programme, Faculty of Education,” World Journal on Educational Technology, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 976-995, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v14i4.7607
  • A. L. Alyousify, R. J. Mstafa, “AR-Assisted Children Book for Smart Teaching and Learning of Turkish Alphabets,” Virtual Reality and Intelligent Hardware, vol. 4, no. 3, e02, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vrih.2022.05.002
  • Dynamics 365 Guides, What is augmented reality or AR, 2023.
  • Acumen Research and Consulting, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Market Size is Expected to Reach at USD 451.5 Billion by 2030, 2022.
  • A. Lo Valvo, D. Croce, D. Garlisi, F. Giuliano, L. Giarré, I. Tinnirello, “A Navigation and Augmented Reality System for Visually Impaired People,” Sensors, vol. 21, no. 9, pp. 4-7, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21093061
  • E. H. Medina-Sanchez, M. Mikusova, M. Callejas-Cuervo, “An interactive model based on a mobile application and augmented reality as a tool to support safe and efficient mobility of people with visual limitations in sustainable urban environments,” Sustainability (Switzerland), vol. 13, no. 17, 2021, doi: 10.3390/su13179973. pp. 3-7.
  • I. Ouali, M. Ben Halima, A. Wali, “Augmented Reality for Scene Text Recognition, Visualization and Reading to Assist Visually Impaired People,” Procedia Computer Science, vol. 9, e48, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2022.09.048
  • Qr Corde, rMQR, 2021.
  • S. Ali, R. Alauldeen, A. Ruaa, “What is Client-Server System: Architecture, Issues and Challenge of Client-Server System,” HBRP Publication, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1-6, 2020, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3673071
  • Vuforia Library, Image Targets, 2017.
  • Unity Technology, Unity 3D, 2018.
  • X. Liu, Y.-H. Sohn, D.-W. Park, “Application development with vuforia and unity 3D,” International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, vol. 13, no. 21, pp. 1-9, 2018.
  • V. V. Virdaus, S. Rifa’i, “The Fluency of Oral Reading with Natural Reader Software,” Journal of Development Research, vol. 5, no. 2, e190, 2021. https://doi.org/10.28926/jdr.v5i2.190
  • Solmaz, Likert scale: definition and how to use it, 2020.
  • G. Venugopal, “A Review of Popular Applications on Google Play – Do They Cater to Visually Impaired Users?,” Indian Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 8, no. S4, pp. 1-16, 2015. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2015/v8is4/61436
  • J. M. Batterman, V. F. Martin, D. Yeung, B. N. Walker, “Connected cane: Tactile button input for controlling gestures of iOS voiceover embedded in a white cane,” Assistive Technology, vol. 30, no. 2, pp.91-99, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2016.1265024
  • D. K. Lee, J. In, S. Lee, “Standard deviation and standard error of the mean,” Korean Journal of Anesthesiology, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 220-223, 2015. https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2015.68.3.220

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.