Audio Augmented Reality Indoor Navigation for Blind People

Description

Indoor navigation poses significant challenges for blind and visually impaired individuals. At Dreamwaves, we've created waveIn, an intuitive audio augmented reality (AR) app for indoor orientation. We place virtual waypoints in the real world and use spatial audio to perceive the waypoints and directions. We're currently piloting waveIn with Vienna's public transport authority, introducing indoor navigation to subway stations. Our indoor navigation app revolves around two core elements: 1. Indoor Localization: We achieve precise user positioning by generating a 3D map of the indoor space with a standard smartphone, mapping 20,000 square meters in under an hour. Real-time localization, with sub-20cm accuracy, is achieved using the smartphone's camera. 2. Spatial Audio: Our in-house technology features a high-resolution engine, offering 1-degree precision audio rendering in all directions, without interpolation. It's highly efficient, consuming minimal smartphone resources. In this talk we will focus on the results of testing workshops with the final product. The test will consist of a structured interviews and a real-world scenario large test with 30 people inside a subway station. Several critical aspects will be evaluated: • User-friendliness. • Accuracy of location pinpointing. • Ability to guide users accurately to their destination. • Responsiveness and real-time updates. • Clarity and effectiveness of visual and auditory cues. • Overall user experience.  

Audience

• Information & Communications Technology
• Disability Specific
• Healthcare & Rehabilitation
• Employment & Human Resources
• Transportation

Audience Level

Intermediate  

Session Summary (Abstract)

We have created waveIn, an intuitive audio augmented reality app for indoor orientation. We will present the results of our latest user testing where blind and visually impaired individuals used the app during a real-world scenario at a subway station.  

Primary Topic

Blind/Low Vision  

Secondary Topics

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)
• Independent Living
• Mobility
• Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), & Cross/Mixed Reality (XR)

 

Session Type

General Track  

Presenter

• Hugo Furtado
  Dreamwaves

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