Indoor magnetic navigation for the blind.
Indoor navigation technology is needed to support seamless mobility for the visually impaired. This paper describes the construction of and evaluation of a navigation system that infers the users' location using only magnetic sensing. It is well known that the environments within steel frame structures are subject to significant magnetic distortions. Many of these distortions are persistent and have sufficient strength and spatial characteristics to allow their use as the basis for a location technology. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a prototype magnetic navigation system consisting of a wireless magnetometer placed at the users' hip streaming magnetic readings to a smartphone processing location algorithms. Human trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of the system by studying route-following performance with blind and sighted subjects using the navigation system for real-time guidance.
Koronis Biomedical Technologies, Inc. Maple Grove, MN 55369, USA. triehle@koronisbiotech.com
Timothy H
TH
Riehle
Shane M
SM
Anderson
Patrick A
PA
Lichter
Nicholas A
NA
Giudice
Suneel I
SI
Sheikh
Robert J
RJ
Knuesel
Daniel T
DT
Kollmann
Daniel S
DS
Hedin
D061725:Accelerometry; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012682:Sensory Aids; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D055815:Young Adult