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• Crowdsourcing the Installation and Maintenance of Indoor Localization Infrastructure to Support Blind Navigation

  Cole Gleason, Dragan Ahmetovic, Saiph Savage, Carlos Toxtli, Carl Posthuma, Chieko Asakawa, Kris M. Kitani, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2018 · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT)

  This paper introduces LuzDeploy, a physical crowdsourcing system that coordinates non-expert volunteers to install and maintain Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon infrastructure for indoor navigation systems used by blind people. The central problem is that indoor navigation…

  indoor navigation · crowdsourcing · Bluetooth beacons · blind users · wayfinding

• Variability in Reactions to Instructional Guidance during Smartphone-Based Assisted Navigation of Blind Users

  Eshed Ohn-Bar, João Guerreiro, Kris Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2018 · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT)

  This paper takes a close, sensor-level look at something most indoor-navigation research glosses over: how differently individual blind users actually react to the same spoken instruction. The authors instrumented a smartphone-and-BLE-beacon turn-by-turn system (based on NavCog)…

  indoor navigation · turn-by-turn navigation · blindness · visual impairment · assistive technology

• Environmental Factors in Indoor Navigation Based on Real-World Trajectories of Blind Users

  Hernisa Kacorri, Eshed Ohn-Bar, Kris M. Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2018 · Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  This paper addresses a methodological blind spot in blind-navigation research: studies typically report localization accuracy and completion time, but say almost nothing about how the physical environment itself shapes where users go wrong. The authors argue that the same…

  indoor navigation · turn-by-turn navigation · blindness · visual impairment · assistive technology

• Achieving Practical and Accurate Indoor Navigation for People with Visual Impairments

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Masayuki Murata, Cole Gleason, Erin Brady, Hironobu Takagi, Kris Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents improvements to the NavCog indoor navigation system that achieve sub-meter localization accuracy for blind pedestrians while significantly reducing the infrastructure cost of deploying BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon networks. GPS provides outdoor…

  indoor navigation · visual impairment · blindness · BLE beacons · Bluetooth Low Energy

• Assessment of Semantic Taxonomies for Blind Indoor Navigation Based on a Shopping Center Use Case

  J. Eduardo Pérez, Myriam Arrue, Masatomo Kobayashi, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2017 · Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates what environmental information is needed to support effective indoor navigation for visually impaired people, and whether existing geographic data specifications provide adequate semantic vocabularies for this purpose. The researchers surveyed three…

  indoor navigation · blindness · wayfinding · location-based services · semantic taxonomy

• Identifying Visual Cues to Improve Independent Indoor Navigation for Blind Individuals

  Cameron Tyler Cassidy · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This student research competition paper proposes a novel approach to indoor navigation for blind individuals that focuses on providing environmental awareness and a "sense of space" rather than traditional point-to-point directions. The author argues that most existing…

  indoor navigation · blindness · computer vision · eye tracking · wayfinding

• Crowdsourcing the Installation and Maintenance of Indoor Navigation Infrastructure

  Cole Gleason · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This student research competition paper presents LuzDeploy, a system designed to solve a major barrier to the adoption of indoor navigation systems for people with visual impairments: the high cost and expertise required to install and maintain the necessary infrastructure.…

  indoor navigation · crowdsourcing · Bluetooth beacons · blindness · wayfinding

• DroneNavigator: Using Leashed and Free-Floating Quadcopters to Navigate Visually Impaired Travelers

  Mauro Avila Soto, Markus Funk, Matthias Hoppe, Robin Boldt, Katrin Wolf, Niels Henze · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper explores an unconventional approach to navigation assistance for visually impaired travelers: using small, lightweight quadcopters as mobile sound and haptic sources to guide users through indoor environments. While existing navigation systems deliver directional…

  navigation · blindness · drones · assistive technology · haptic technology

• Virtual Navigation for Blind People: Building Sequential Representations of the Real-World

  João Guerreiro, Dragan Ahmetovic, Kris M. Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper investigates whether blind people can build accurate mental representations of real-world routes by virtually navigating them on a smartphone before physically visiting the location. Sighted people routinely study maps before visiting new places, building a sequential…

  blindness · navigation · cognitive mapping · virtual navigation · orientation and mobility

• NavCog3: An Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Blind Indoor Navigation Assistant with Semantic Features in a Large-Scale Environment

  Daisuke Sato, Uran Oh, Kakuya Naito, Hironobu Takagi, Kris Kitani, Chieko Asakawa · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper presents NavCog3, a smartphone-based indoor navigation assistant for people with visual impairments, evaluated at scale in a 21,000 m² shopping mall in Japan. Unlike many prior indoor navigation prototypes that were tested only in constrained lab environments, NavCog3…

  indoor navigation · blindness · visual impairment · wayfinding · Bluetooth beacons

• NavCog: Turn-by-Turn Smartphone Navigation Assistant for People with Visual Impairments or Blindness

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cole Gleason, Kris M. Kitani, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents NavCog, an open-source iOS smartphone navigation system designed to assist people with visual impairments or blindness in navigating complex indoor and outdoor environments. While many blind people can independently traverse familiar routes by…

  indoor navigation · visual impairment · blindness · assistive technology · Bluetooth beacons

• WeAllWalk: An Annotated Data Set of Inertial Sensor Time Series from Blind Walkers

  German H. Flores, Roberto Manduchi · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper introduces WeAllWalk, an openly accessible and annotated data set of inertial sensor time series collected from blind individuals walking through complex indoor routes. The data set addresses a critical gap in assistive navigation research: while step counting and…

  blindness · indoor navigation · wayfinding · inertial sensing · data collection

• NavCog: A Navigational Cognitive Assistant for the Blind

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cole Gleason, Chengxiong Ruan, Kris Kitani, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI '16)

  This paper introduces NavCog, an iPhone-based turn-by-turn navigation assistant designed to guide blind users through unfamiliar indoor and outdoor environments without requiring expensive infrastructure or structural modifications. The authors argue that while blind travellers…

  blind navigation · indoor navigation · wayfinding · orientation and mobility · assistive technology

• Improving Public Transit Accessibility for Blind Riders by Crowdsourcing Bus Stop Landmark Locations with Google Street View: An Extended Analysis

  Kotaro Hara, Shiri Azenkot, Megan Campbell, Cynthia L. Bennett, Vicki Le, Sean Pannella, Robert Moore, Kelly Minckler, Rochelle H. Ng, Jon E. Froehlich · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper tackles a fundamental challenge in public transit accessibility: helping blind and low-vision riders locate bus stops, which often lack nonvisual markers or consistent landmark placement. The researchers developed Bus Stop CSI (Crowdsourcing Streetview Inspections), a…

  public transit · blind and low vision · crowdsourcing · wayfinding · landmarks

• Linked Data-Driven Decision Support for Accessible Travelling

  Chaohai Ding, Mike Wald, Gary Wills · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes using Linked Data principles to build a decision support system (DSS) for accessible travel planning, primarily targeting people with mobility difficulties. The core problem is that accessibility information about physical places — ramps,…

  linked data · semantic web · accessible travel · mobility impairment · decision support system

• TactileMaps.net: A Web Interface for Generating Customized 3D-Printable Tactile Maps

  Brandon T. Taylor, Anind K. Dey, Dan P. Siewiorek, Asim Smailagic · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper presents TactileMaps.net, a web-based tool that enables visually impaired users to independently generate customized 3D-printable tactile maps. Tactile maps are valuable tools for helping blind individuals understand their environment, but traditionally…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · 3D printing · maps · wayfinding

• Zebra Crossing Spotter: Automatic Population of Spatial Databases for Increased Safety of Blind Travelers

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Roberto Manduchi, James M. Coughlan, Sergio Mascetti · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents a computer vision system that automatically detects zebra crosswalks by mining satellite imagery and Google Street View, with the goal of augmenting geographic information systems (GIS) to help blind travelers plan safer routes. Knowing crosswalk locations is…

  visual impairment · navigation · computer vision · pedestrian crossings · wayfinding

• Exploring Interface Design for Independent Navigation by People with Visual Impairments

  Erin L. Brady, Daisuke Sato, Chengxiong Ruan, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2015 · ASSETS 2015: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This short poster paper from ASSETS 2015 explores how people with visual impairments respond to different navigation interface designs during in situ walking tasks. The authors observe that prior research has been limited in two ways: user studies of navigation applications are…

  visual impairment · blind navigation · non-visual navigation · wayfinding · wizard of oz

• Buildings and Users with Visual Impairment: Uncovering Factors for Accessibility Using BIT-Kit

  Lesley J. McIntyre, Vicki L. Hanson · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper introduces BIT-Kit (Building Interactions Tool-kit), a mixed-method framework for gathering evidence about how buildings impact the accessibility of users with visual impairments. The framework combines three methods: semi-structured interviews about past building…

  visual impairment · wayfinding · built environment · architecture · accessibility evaluation

• Headlock: A Wearable Navigation Aid that Helps Blind Cane Users Traverse Large Open Spaces

  Alexander Fiannaca, Ilias Apostolopoulous, Eelke Folmer · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents HEADLOCK, a navigation aid for optical head-mounted displays (OHMDs) like Google Glass that helps blind cane users traverse large open spaces—environments that are particularly challenging because they lack the tactile features (walls, corridors, floor…

  visual impairment · blindness · navigation · wayfinding · wearable technology

• "Just Let the Cane Hit It": How the Blind and Sighted See Navigation Differently

  Michele A. Williams, Caroline Galbraith, Shaun K. Kane, Amy Hurst · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper reveals fundamental mismatches between how blind and sighted people understand pedestrian navigation, drawing on over a year of immersive qualitative research including focus groups, diary studies, and partner observations. The researchers conducted two focus groups…

  blind navigation · white cane · orientation and mobility · wayfinding · qualitative research

• Where's My Bus Stop? Supporting Independence of Blind Transit Riders with StopInfo

  Megan Campbell, Cynthia Bennett, Caitlin Bonnar, Alan Borning · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents StopInfo, a system integrated into the OneBusAway transit app that provides detailed information about bus stops to help blind and low vision riders locate and verify stops, particularly in unfamiliar areas. Locating a bus stop is a significant challenge for…

  public transit · blind navigation · crowdsourcing · wayfinding · mobile accessibility

• Path-Guided Indoor Navigation for the Visually Impaired Using Minimal Building Retrofitting

  Dhruv Jain · 2014 · Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility (ASSETS 2014)

  This paper presents the design and evaluation of a cellphone-based indoor navigation system that provides step-by-step path guidance for visually impaired users in unfamiliar buildings with minimal infrastructure requirements. The system combines infrared (IR) beacons mounted at…

  indoor navigation · visual impairment · wayfinding · assistive technology · infrared

• Improving Public Transit Accessibility for Blind Riders by Crowdsourcing Bus Stop Landmark Locations with Google Street View

  Kotaro Hara, Shiri Azenkot, Megan Campbell, Cynthia L. Bennett, Vicki Le, Sean Pannella, Robert Moore, Kelly Minckler, Rochelle H. Ng, Jon E. Froehlich · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper introduces Bus Stop CSI (Crowdsourcing Streetview Inspections), a scalable method for collecting bus stop location and landmark descriptions by combining online crowdsourcing with Google Street View (GSV). Blind and low-vision bus riders rely heavily on physical…

  visual impairment · blindness · crowdsourcing · public transit · navigation

• Uncovering Information Needs for Independent Spatial Learning for Users Who Are Visually Impaired

  Nikola Banovic, Rachel L. Franz, Khai N. Truong, Jennifer Mankoff, Anind K. Dey · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents two studies examining how visually impaired individuals learn about their environments and build cognitive maps — the mental representations of spatial relationships that sighted people largely construct through casual visual observation. Study 1 involved…

  visual impairment · spatial learning · navigation · wayfinding · orientation and mobility