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Presenter(s)
Hirohiko OHKUBO - Mitsubishi Precision Company
345 Kamimachiya
Kamakura City, Japan
247-8505
Email: ohkubohr@mpcnet.co.jp
Seiji KITAKAZE - NEC Corporation
5-229-23 Shiba
Minato-ku
Tokyo, Japan
108-8420
Email: s-kitakaze@aj.jp.nec.com
Yo FUJISHIMA - New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
1310 Omiya-cho
Saiwai-ku
Kawasaki City, Japan
212-8554
Email: fujishimayoh@nedo.go.jp
Naoto WATANABE - Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
1-3-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan
10-8901
Email: watanabe-naoto-ny@meti.go.jp
Minoru KAMATA - The University of Tokyo, School of Engineering
7-3-1 Hongo
Bunkyou-ku
Tokyo, Japan
113-8656
Email: kamata@mech.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
SUMMARY
This paper presents the contents and evaluation results of development project undertaken by Japanese government, METI which provide integrated assistive system mainly for disable persons.
1. INTRODUCTION
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan has started a new project for developing the user friendly wayfinding/guidance system for disabilities.
Feature of this project is aiming to develop the system utilizing currently available technology and future technology can be also added.
The final goal of this project is to propose the standardized system to ISO.
1.1 Background and Concept
Information Technology (IT) is becoming popular and so-called IT society is growing. All people can join the IT society, not only ordinary people but also disabled persons.
Many kinds of assistive systems for persons with disabilities have been developed and used so far, but there is neither compatibility nor interoperability so that the different types of devices that are specifically provided for each system have to be used by users.
The purpose of this project is to develop a single device which can commonly be used for different types of wayfinding/guidance systems resulting much benefit and usability become available to users especially for disabled persons.
The common platform architecture is applied to integrate functions to be worked with different types of sensors and media such as GPS, Infrared Communications, Radio Communications and RFID, and also provide the expansion capability for new sensors would be developed in future.
The development of the system not only for visually impaired but also other disabilities like hearing disabled, locomotive impaired, wheel chair users, etc. is very important for all disabilities, and the system would be also convenient to ordinary people.
1.2 Scope
The project is being scheduled over four years to complete from fiscal 2003 to 2006 as described in the followings.(Fiscal year means April to March)
FY2003: Review of functions to be serviced and system concept
Review and evaluation of compatibility and interoperability between each systems
Development and evaluation of prototype 1 operated with PDA
FY2004: Improvement and refine the functions and performance of Prototype 1
Development of Prototype 2 operated with cell phone
FY2005: Field test of Aichi World Exposition
Refine Prototype 2 with results of field test
FY2006: Finalize the functions and specifications of Prototype 2 as a “Standard user terminal” Review of standard specification, open to public and proposed to JIS (Japan Industrial Standard) and International Standard
Figure-1 shows the roadmap of project development.
As shown above this project will finally provide a small size, light weight mobile terminal integrated into the cell phone with major functions using GPS, infrared, radio, and RFID sensors/media which need to assist pedestrians with disables and also normal persons.
2. CONFIGURATION
2.1 Prototype 1
This will use the conventional system already installed and also the modern technology.
Especially for visually impaired people, Rf system and Ir system are popular in Japan. For the development phase it is easy to use PDA for software portion, and the configuration of prototype 1 system is like this:
For position information: GPS, Ir, RFID
For directional information: Rf and Ir
Figure-2.1 shows the prototype 1 configuration.
2.2 Prototype 2
As for prototype 2, we are planning to use mobile phone with GPS service. And we also are planning to develop small adapter unit which can be attached to mobile phone. In this step, we will incorporate the BT technology.
Figure-2.2 shows the prototype 2 configuration.
Figure-2.2 User terminal configuration, Prototype 2
3. EVALUATION TEST
Utilizing prototype 1 system, we conducted the evaluation test as follows:
3.1 Test conditions
Date: 16 February to 26 February, 2004
Place: NEC Yokohama factory
Participants:
Visually impaired 16
| Blind 10 | Male 9 | Female 1 | Age 50’s to 70’s |
| Low vision 6 | Male 2 | Female 4 | Age 50’s to 70’s |
Hearing impaired 5
Wheel chair users 10
Physically impaired 10
Elderly 5
3.2 Questionnaire
We made some question sheet in Q and A style.
The questionnaire includes followings and others.
Participant’s status, Outgoing frequency, Accidents while walking.
On Information provided: Route guidance information, Caution information, Caution information.
Message contents, Message timing.
Human interface.
System effectiveness.
General comments.
3.3 Test situation
Figure-3.1 shows the test situation.
| Figure 3.1 (b) Hearing Impaired | Figure 3.1 (c) Locamotive impaired |
3.3 Test Results
3.3.1 Results of questionnaire
It took about two to three hours to conduct the test for one person.
There are many questions to each participants.
Here, we would like to show some results of questionnaire of visually impaired participants.
3. 3.2 Comments of participants
There were several comments at test. Typical comments are as follows:
(1) Comments from visually impaired Handy terminal design: I prefer to use like a mobile phone. Design shall be considered that women can use it fashionably.
Relief and usefulness: It is relief to use for visiting not familiar place with route guidance. It is useful if the system informs the exit of railway station. It is useful if the system informs the north/south exit of railway station. It is useful if the information for transit from one transportation system to another one is provided.
General comments: It is useful for guidance message of 3 or 4 meters ahead of turning point/destination point. But the information at 20 meters ahead to the points is not required every time. Landmark points shall be provided more precisely. I prefer to know the address indicated on sign.
(2) Comments from other disabilities
Hearing impaired I prefer to know the “30 meter before the turning point” information. I prefer to know the transit information of the railway.
Wheel chair users I prefer to know the speed of wheel chair(motored). I prefer to know the accumulated distance where I moved(motored).
Elderly I am afraid of the misguidance or misleading.
4. CONCLUSION
Most of participants evaluated that the system works well and have great expectation for development of new devices as the next step.
As the next step in this year, we are now developing the adapter type device incorporating IC module to minimize the size and weight.
In 2005, Aichi-Expo will be held in Japan. We are planning to conduct the evaluation test of our system there.
For future system, providing the convenience to disabilities will be essential as well as providing the solution to all peoples. For this purpose, the global standardization of the system is very important.
5. ACKOWLEDGEMNT It is appreciated for kind cooperation and assistance that a lot of precious opinions and suggestions are given by Mr. KUTSUZAWA of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr.MATSUMURA of Ikeno Tuken company, Mr.TSUKADA of Hitachi company and participants to those tests.
6. REFERENCES (1) CSUN 2002 Conference proceedings: Evaluation of Pedestrian Information and Communication Systems-A for visually impaired persons
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