GuideCall: Affordable and Trustworthy Video Call-Based Remote Assistance for People with Visual Impairments
Naveen M. Ravindran, Seyed Ali Cheraghi, Vinod Namboodiri, Rakesh Babu · 2019 · Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A) · doi:10.1145/3315002.3332442
Summary
This demonstration paper presents GuideCall, a free Android application that enables blind or visually impaired (BVI) individuals to get remote visual assistance through video calls with trusted personal contacts. The system addresses two key limitations of existing remote assistance services: Aira provides professional trained agents but is expensive due to labor costs, while Be My Eyes connects users with anonymous untrained volunteers whom BVI individuals may not fully trust — particularly in situations involving personal, financial, or workplace information. GuideCall takes a middle path by allowing BVI users to create pre-defined groups of trusted helpers organized by life scenario (e.g., work contacts, personal contacts, family). When assistance is needed, the user selects the appropriate group and sends a help request to all group members simultaneously. The first person to accept connects via video call, and all other group members are notified that help has been secured. The interface is designed for BVI users, working with Google TalkBack for screen reader accessibility. Beyond basic video calling, GuideCall provides features specifically designed for visual assistance: the helper can remotely control the BVI user's phone camera (switching between front and back cameras, toggling the flashlight, enabling the speaker), zoom in and out on the video feed, and view the BVI user's real-time location on integrated Google Maps with both default and satellite views. For indoor environments provisioned with BLE beacon-based wayfinding systems like GuideBeacon, the helper can also track the BVI user's movement on a floor plan in real time.
Key findings
The system was implemented using Quickblox for cloud communication (video calling, instant messaging, push notifications), Vidyo for video collaboration with smartphone-optimized codecs, and Google Firebase for storing and sharing location data. A notable feature is that helpers can track a BVI user's location on Google Maps even when not actively on a video call, providing a passive safety layer. The integration of indoor maps with BLE beacon-based localization extends the system's utility to indoor environments where GPS is unavailable — a particularly important scenario given the same research team's work on the GuideBeacon indoor wayfinding system. The group-based notification system solves a practical problem with personal video calls: rather than calling contacts one by one hoping someone answers, the simultaneous broadcast to a relevant group maximizes the chance of getting timely help.
Relevance
This work occupies an important middle ground in the remote sighted assistance ecosystem for blind people. It recognizes that the choice between professional paid agents (Aira) and anonymous volunteers (Be My Eyes) is not binary — many BVI individuals have networks of friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances who would be willing to help but need a streamlined way to be reached quickly in the right context. The trust dimension is particularly significant: sharing a live video feed from one's smartphone camera exposes personal surroundings, documents, and activities, making trust in the helper essential. The situation-specific group model (keeping work helpers separate from personal helpers) reflects real social boundaries. For accessibility practitioners, GuideCall demonstrates that building assistive applications on top of commodity technologies (video calling, cloud services, maps) with BVI-specific design considerations can produce practical solutions. The remote camera control and location-sharing features show thoughtful attention to the asymmetric nature of the interaction: the sighted helper needs maximum visual information while the BVI user needs a minimal, accessible interface. The integration with indoor wayfinding infrastructure also points toward a future where remote human assistance and autonomous navigation systems work together rather than in isolation.
Tags: visual impairment · blindness · remote assistance · video calling · assistive technology · wayfinding · indoor navigation · trust · privacy · mobile application