Development of a Remote Accessibility Assessment System through three-dimensional reconstruction technology.
A Remote Accessibility Assessment System (RAAS) that uses three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction technology is being developed; it enables clinicians to assess the wheelchair accessibility of users' built environments from a remote location. The RAAS uses commercial software to construct 3-D virtualized environments from photographs. We developed custom screening algorithms and instruments for analyzing accessibility. Characteristics of the camera and 3-D reconstruction software chosen for the system significantly affect its overall reliability. In this study, we performed an accuracy assessment to verify that commercial hardware and software can construct accurate 3-D models by analyzing the accuracy of dimensional measurements in a virtual environment and a comparison of dimensional measurements from 3-D models created with four cameras/settings. Based on these two analyses, we were able to specify a consumer-grade digital camera and PhotoModeler (EOS Systems, Inc, Vancouver, Canada) software for this system. Finally, we performed a feasibility analysis of the system in an actual environment to evaluate its ability to assess the accessibility of a wheelchair user's typical built environment. The field test resulted in an accurate accessibility assessment and thus validated our system.
Kim
Jong Bae
JB
Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, 5044 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. jbkim@pitt.edu
Brienza
David M
DM
D003196:Computer Graphics; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008961:Models, Structural; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014910:Wheelchairs