AAL mission: towards a smart wearable navigation aid
2010 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Technology has helped disabled people live more independently in many ways, yet still when it comes to aiding visually impaired persons in navigating their environment, the most trustworthy companion is the white cane, the guide dog or another person. The goal of this thesis is to systematically examine the problems that arise when using modern technology to aid in navigation, to look at possible sources of location information and how to present it efficiently to the user as well as to examine some commercially available and research prototype systems, and finally to propose a new wearable system based on the gathered knowledge. Scenarios highlighting situations in which key problems arise are also presented and discussed. An advanced navigation device would not only help visually impaired persons but also those with other temporary or permanent disabilities such as dementia, or those who get into situations where they might be temporarily blinded such as fire fighters. The proposed system, called AAL MISSION (Ambient Assisted Living Multiple Interface and Sensor System for Indoor and Outdoor Navigation) is an attempt at addressing the most common issues found in presently available solutions. Primary factors are high reliability, minimal distractions and interaction, and a system that works both indoors and outdoors. Ideally, the system should be a connected device able to keep up with changes in the environment, and feature pervasive adaptation to users' disabilities, experiences and preferences. The primary focus of this thesis is on the reliability and interaction aspects.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2010.
Keywords [en]
Technology, aal mission, navigation aid, disabilities, visually impaired, ambient, assisted living, pervasive, gps, wlan, rfid, laser, ultrasound, wayfinding, accessibility, assistive technology, positioning technologies
Keywords [sv]
Teknik
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-42076ISRN: LTU-EX--10/162--SELocal ID: 02335f01-08fe-4b30-80a6-b817840c4b30OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-42076DiVA, id: diva2:1015292
Subject / course
Student thesis, at least 30 credits
Educational program
Computer Science and Engineering, master's level
Examiners
Note
Validerat; 20101217 (root)
2016-10-042016-10-04Bibliographically approved