Visually impaired navigation assistant for emerging market using tactile floor, feature phone and audio descriptions

Abstract

We use our eyesight to acquire information about the environment in our daily life and so move safely from one place to another. The visually impaired do not have the same privilege. They need a companion or plan ahead how get there using other sources of information. Nowadays, the mobile phone are a useful and practical source of information, however visually impaired in many development countries have difficulties with mobile phones that are inappropriate for them. We start to develop a solution to bring information about the environment and routes to visually impaired people. This solution is called Audioguide and aims to provide independence to its users during their locomotion.