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• When Audio Is Enough: Design-Tradeoffs in Multi-Story MR Navigation

  Bilgehan Cagiltay, Selim Balcisoy · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI '26 exploratory study asks when an augmented-reality navigation aid can rely on audio alone. The authors argue that visual-first MR interfaces impose extra cognitive load and attention tunneling in high-stakes, cognitively demanding settings (e.g., first responders,…

  mixed reality · audio augmented reality · spatial audio · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• WanderGuide: Indoor Map-less Robotic Guide for Exploration by Blind People

  Masaki Kuribayashi, Kohei Uehara, Allan Wang, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25)

  Kuribayashi and colleagues design WanderGuide, a suitcase-shaped robotic guide that supports blind people in recreational, open-ended exploration of indoor environments — wandering, browsing, window-shopping — rather than getting from A to B. The team frames a clear gap in the…

  assistive robotics · indoor navigation · blindness and low vision · visual impairment · recreational exploration

• Field Trials of Autonomous Navigation Robot for Visually Impaired People

  Hironobu Takagi, Kakuya Naito, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Seita Kayukawa, Chieko Asakawa · 2025 · Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25)

  This paper reports field trials of AI Suitcase, an autonomous navigation robot shaped like a conventional carry-on suitcase and designed to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travellers safely through unfamiliar public spaces. The system traces its origins to the CaBot…

  assistive robotics · blindness and low vision · navigation · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• Dude, Where's My Luggage? An Autoethnographic Account of Airport Navigation by a Traveler with Residual Vision

  Cameron Tyler Cassidy, Stacy Marie Branham · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents an autoethnographic study of airport navigation by a legally blind traveler with residual vision, conducted across eight round-trips through six U.S. airports. The first author, Cameron, who has Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy resulting in approximately…

  visual impairment · low vision · residual vision · indoor navigation · wayfinding

• Help and The Social Construction of Access: A Case-Study from India

  Vaishnav Kameswaran, Jerry Robinson, Nithya Sambasivan, Gaurav Aggarwal, Meredith Ringel Morris · 2024 · ASSETS '24: Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper examines the role of help in how people with visual impairments (PVI) navigate indoor environments in India, challenging the Western-centric assumption that independence should be the primary goal of assistive technology design. Through a mixed-methods qualitative…

  visual impairment · indoor navigation · Global South · India · social accessibility

• MABLESim: A Simulation Framework for Studying Accessibility Challenges for People with Disabilities within Indoor Environments

  Francisco Javier Rafful Garfias, Vinod Namboodiri · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces MABLESim (Mapping for Accessible BuiLt Environments Simulator), a Unity-based simulation framework designed to study how people with disabilities navigate indoor spaces. The authors address a fundamental research gap: while physical accessibility barriers…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · simulation · mobility impairments · visual impairments

• Direct or Immersive? Comparing Smartphone-based Museum Guide Systems for Blind Visitors

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Giorgia Masoero, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Proceedings of the 21st International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the first direct comparison of two smartphone-based museum guide paradigms for blind visitors: a "direct" system using turn-by-turn navigation with VoiceOver-controlled audio descriptions, and an "immersive" system using spatialized sound navigation with…

  museum accessibility · blindness · indoor navigation · spatialized audio · screen readers

• All the Way There and Back: Inertial-Based, Phone-in-Pocket Indoor Wayfinding and Backtracking Apps for Blind Travelers

  Chia Hsuan Tsai, Fatemeh Elyasi, Peng Ren, Roberto Manduchi · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents two iOS apps designed to help blind travelers navigate indoor building environments without requiring external infrastructure like Bluetooth beacons or visual markers. The Wayfinding app uses a known floor plan to compute and guide users along the shortest…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · blind and low vision · inertial sensors · dead reckoning

• BentoMuseum: 3D and Layered Interactive Museum Map for Blind Visitors

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2024 · Communications of the ACM

  BentoMuseum proposes a novel museum map format designed to help blind visitors access the multidimensional information of a complex, multi-floor museum before and during a visit. Unlike conventional tactile maps that depict a single floor layout and struggle to convey volumetric…

  museum accessibility · blindness and low vision · tactile map · audio-tactile interaction · 3D printing

• Snap&Nav: Smartphone-based Indoor Navigation System For Blind People via Floor Map Analysis and Intersection Detection

  Masaya Kubota, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima · 2024 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  Snap&Nav is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system for blind travellers that works in any building with a visible floor map, without requiring the building owner to pre-build a digital map, install BLE beacons, or deploy any other localisation infrastructure. The authors…

  blindness and low vision · indoor navigation · wayfinding · map-less navigation · intersection detection

• ChitChatGuide: Conversational Interaction Using Large Language Models for Assisting People with Visual Impairments to Explore a Shopping Mall

  Yuka Kaniwa, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima · 2024 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  ChitChatGuide is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system that wraps a GPT-4-powered conversational interface around an existing BLE-beacon localisation stack (HULOP) to support something most blind-navigation research overlooks: casual, purpose-less exploration — the blind…

  blindness and low vision · large language model · indoor navigation · wayfinding · conversational agent

• Experiments with RouteNav, A Wayfinding App for Blind Travelers in a Transit Hub

  Peng Ren, Jonathan Lam, Roberto Manduchi, Fatemeh Mirzaei · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '23)

  This paper presents RouteNav, an iOS wayfinding app designed to help blind travelers navigate indoor/outdoor transit hubs without requiring any external infrastructure such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons or Wi-Fi fingerprinting. The system achieves localization by fusing…

  wayfinding · indoor navigation · blind and low vision · transit accessibility · mobile application

• Understanding Curators' Practices and Challenge of Making Exhibitions More Accessible for People with Visual Impairments

  Huang, Yuru, Zhang, Jingling, Jin, Xiaofu, Fan, Mingming · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper examines exhibition accessibility from the perspective of curators — a stakeholder group that plays a critical role in making museums and galleries accessible but has been largely overlooked in accessibility research. Through semi-structured interviews with 22…

  museum accessibility · blind and low vision · curators · assistive technology · exhibition design

• Experimental Evaluation of Multi-scale Tactile Maps Created with SIM, a Web App for Indoor Map Authoring

  Viet Trinh, Roberto Manduchi, Nicholas A. Giudice · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces Semantic Interior Mapology (SIM), a web application that democratizes tactile map creation by allowing anyone to trace a floor plan image and automatically generate embossable tactile maps at multiple scales. Unlike outdoor environments where services like…

  tactile maps · indoor navigation · blindness · spatial learning · orientation and mobility

• Enhancing Blind Visitor's Autonomy in a Science Museum Using an Autonomous Navigation Robot

  Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Tatsuya Ishihara, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2023 · Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Museums have historically struggled to offer blind visitors the same self-directed, exploratory experience that sighted visitors take for granted. Prior solutions — tactile tours, audio guides, or pre-fixed navigation routes — either require a human escort or constrain visitors…

  blind navigation · autonomous navigation robot · museum accessibility · visual impairment · indoor navigation

• PathFinder: Designing a Map-less Navigation System for Blind People in Unfamiliar Buildings

  Masaki Kuribayashi, Tatsuya Ishihara, Daisuke Sato, Jayakorn Vongkulbhisal, Karnik Ram, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2023 · Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Map-based indoor navigation systems for blind travellers (CaBot, NavCog, BLE-beacon apps) work well when a prebuilt map exists, but building and maintaining those maps is labour-intensive and has only been done for a tiny fraction of the world's buildings. Engel et al. reported…

  map-less navigation · blind navigation · indoor navigation · intersection detection · sign recognition

• Lessons Learned from Designing, Deploying and Testing an Accessible BLE Beacon-based Wayfinding System in a Multi-Floor Indoor Environment

  Ajay Abraham · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper documents the practical guidelines and design decisions involved in deploying a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon-based indoor wayfinding system in a three-story college campus building. The system builds on GuideBeacon, a previously developed proximity-based indoor…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · BLE beacon · blind and low vision · mobile accessibility

• Traveling More Independently: A Study on the Diverse Needs and Challenges of People with Visual or Mobility Impairments in Unfamiliar Indoor Environments

  Karin Müller, Christin Engel, Claudia Loitsch, Rainer Stiefelhagen, Gerhard Weber · 2022 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This comprehensive survey study examines how people with visual impairments (blindness or low vision) and mobility impairments plan and execute trips to unfamiliar indoor environments. The researchers surveyed 125 participants—60 blind, 39 with low vision, and 26 with mobility…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · visual impairment · mobility impairment · indoor maps

• Corridor-Walker: Mobile Indoor Walking Assistance for Blind People to Avoid Obstacles and Recognize Intersections

  Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Jayakorn Vongkulbhisal, Chieko Asakawa, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima · 2022 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact., Vol. 6, MHCI, Article 179)

  Walking an indoor corridor independently is deceptively hard for a blind traveller. Two problems compound: avoiding obstacles stacked against the wall (the same wall the traveller uses as a tactile guide) and recognising when an intersection has arrived and which directions it…

  indoor navigation · blind navigation · obstacle avoidance · intersection detection · LiDAR

• LineChaser: A Smartphone-Based Navigation System for Blind People to Stand in Lines

  Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima · 2021 · Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  Standing in line is a mundane-looking task — at a cashier, bus stop, or airport check-in — but for a blind person it is a brittle, anxiety-ridden sequence: find where the line currently ends (a position that moves), join it without bumping into anyone, and then shuffle forward…

  line detection · pedestrian detection · orientation and mobility · visual impairment · indoor navigation

• Indoor Localization for Visually Impaired Travelers Using Computer Vision on a Smartphone

  Giovanni Fusco, James M. Coughlan · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a computer vision-based indoor localization system that runs as a real-time app on a conventional iPhone, designed to help blind and visually impaired travelers navigate indoor spaces where GPS is unavailable. The system combines several technologies into a…

  indoor navigation · wayfinding · computer vision · visual impairment · blindness

• Travelling more independently: A Requirements Analysis for Accessible Journeys to Unknown Buildings for People with Visual Impairments

  Christin Engel, Karin Müller, Angela Constantinescu, Claudia Loitsch, Vanessa Petrausch, Gerhard Weber, Rainer Stiefelhagen · 2020 · Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper presents a comprehensive survey with 106 people with visual impairments (63 blind, 43 low vision; ages 8-77, mean 46; predominantly German) examining how they plan and carry out journeys to unknown buildings. Unlike previous studies that focused on isolated aspects of…

  visual accessibility · blindness and low vision · indoor navigation · wayfinding · orientation and mobility

• Use of an Indoor Navigation System by Sighted and Blind Travelers: Performance Similarities across Visual Status and Age

  Nicholas A. Giudice, Benjamin A. Guenther, Toni M. Kaplan, Shane M. Anderson, Robert J. Knuesel, Joseph F. Cioffi · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study evaluates an indoor navigation system using commercial iOS devices and Bluetooth beacons to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travelers through complex university buildings. The research compared two navigation conditions: a system-aided mode where participants…

  indoor navigation · blind and low vision · wayfinding · Bluetooth beacons · older adults

• Spotlights and Soundscapes: On the Design of Mixed Reality Auditory Environments for Persons with Visual Impairment

  Keenan R. May, Brianna J. Tomlinson, Xiaomeng Ma, Phillip Roberts, Bruce N. Walker · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper explores the design of information-rich mixed reality (MR) auditory environments to help people with visual impairments form cognitive maps of unfamiliar indoor spaces. The research contrasts two approaches: soundscapes, where virtual objects in all directions emit…

  mixed reality · spatial audio · auditory display · cognitive maps · indoor navigation

• Guiding Blind Pedestrians in Public Spaces by Understanding Walking Behavior of Nearby Pedestrians

  Seita Kayukawa, Tatsuya Ishihara, Hironobu Takagi, Shigeo Morishima, Chieko Asakawa · 2020 · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT), Vol. 4, No. 3, Article 85

  Collisions with other pedestrians are one of the most common hazards for blind travellers in public space — 87.8% of blind people report colliding or nearly colliding with pedestrians, bicycles, or obstacles. White canes detect contact rather than approach, and guide dogs cannot…

  blind navigation · collision prediction · pedestrian avoidance · visual impairment · audio interface