Visual impaired faces various obstacles when travelling independently. To improve their mobility, there are some major kinds of tools and technologies in the market. For instance, blind canes are used to extend user's range of tactile sensation; Guide dogs are served as a pilot to lead them direction, around obstacles and indicate alerts when necessary. However, they do not have point-to-point navigation capability. GPS devices can assist people by providing orientation and navigation information, but this technology is not a replacement for blind canes and guide dogs.
Therefore, LSCM has developed a cost-effective robot vision and sensing solution for mobility assistance. The technologies have been developed for the following aspects:
1. Obstacle avoidance and guidance to implement important functionalities provided
by guide dogs
2. Navigation and locationing to provide walking guidance including free walking and
target destination