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Smart Transparent Navigation Technology
Traditionally, the visually impaired uses the blind canes and follows the guiding tiles on the floor for the direction to their desired destinations. Developing navigation systems for the visually impaired has always been a challenge as the location information has to be highly accurate. And it is hard to merge the barrier-free facilities/ infrastructure, e.g. guiding tiles, into the overall design of the modern premises’ infrastructure. Besides, the protruding guiding tiles maybe dangerous to other users passing by, e.g. the elderly persons may fall when they walk by the guiding tiles. And the guiding tiles are easily damaged when heavy objects, such as courier trolley, run over them.
In this project, the LSCM team explores the possibility of providing guidance for the direction to the visually impaired without the use of guiding tiles. The RFID tags are embedded under the floor, e.g. under marble or ceramic tiles. A wearable RFID reader device will be used to detect the signals from the RFID tags embedded under the floor. The mobile phone with the navigation app will then analyse the signals of the RFID tags and provide immediate audio guidance to the visually impaired when they are walking in an open area without guiding tiles.
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