23.01.2009
Universität Stuttgart develops navigation assistant for the blind
"TANIA" will help blind people find their way around better in the future (Copyright: Dr. Andreas Hub, Universität Stuttgart)
“TANIA” is the name of the new navigation assistant which will help blind and visually impaired people find their way around better in the future. The newest version of the device was recently presented for the first time to the public at large in Stuttgart. With the aid of a computer voice or a small portable Braille display the device will provide users a spatial guide in places such as public buildings, the local neighbourhood or anywhere else they might choose to go.
The navigation assistant, which can be carried around the neck in the same way as a camera case, first needs to be programmed with a precise map of the relevant areas. A stereo camera integrated into a bicycle helmet and additional sensors furthermore can help people to detect moving objects, such as chairs or people. The navigation assistant provides unprecedentedly precise computer-assisted orientation. What is more, it is also possible to feed the new device with location-based text information which blind users can call up by computer voice or by Braille display. Examples include: schedules at bus stops, menus in restaurants or current products in drugstores.
The navigation assistant was developed at the Visualization and Interactive Systems Group (VIS) at the Universität Stuttgart. The device works with a touchscreen with a tactile overlay and, according to the project manager, Dr. Andreas Hub, blind and even deafblind people will find learning how to use it very easy. While it does not replace a cane, it could nonetheless provide users invaluable navigation assistance, especially in unknown environments. The researchers hope that the device will be available on the market within a year.
www.uni-stuttgart.de
www.blindnavigation.org
