Development of a navigation system for visually impaired persons by using optical beacons

Our objective of this study is the development of the navigation system which is used in the indoor space and supports activities of the visually impaired. This system is composed of optical beacons which emit the position code as infrared signal, an optical receiver which receives signal from beacons, and a navigator which guides an user by pre-recorded voice. In the service area of a beacon, the navigator guides a route to the destination on demand. Several subjects with low vision were tested in the hospital with our navigation system. From these experiment, the following characteristics became clear. 1) On a pathway where a subject can feel the wall, every subjects could follow the navigation voice. 2) Some subjects couldn't go across the wide pathway straight, and then the system lost their position. 3) "On demand type navigation" worked well, and most of subjects felt this system useful.