14-10-2010, 03:38 PM
Presented by
B.swapna
Introduction
The revolutionary achievements in robotics and bioengineering have given scientists and engineers great opportunities and challenges to serve humanity.
This seminar is about an instrument, which is the outcome of robotics and bioengineering, and it is called “NavBelt and the GuideCane”.
It is a robotics-based obstacle-avoidance system relays information to the user by transmitting stereophonic signals for the blind and visually impaired.
NavBelt is worn by the user like a belt and is equipped with an array of ultrasonic sensors.
It provides acoustic signals via a set of stereo earphones that guide the user around obstacles or “displays” a virtual acoustic panoramic image of the traveller’s surroundings.
A newer device, called GuideCane, effectively overcomes exceedingly difficult for the user to comprehend the guidance signals in time to allow fast walking.
Experimental results conducted with the Navbelt simulator introduces two new concepts to electronic travel aids for the blind: it provides information not only about obstacles along the traveled path, but also assists the user in selecting the preferred travel path.
Improvements:
The Nav Belt is currently not able to detect over hanging objects. This problem can be removed by using a camera and a laser scanner attached to a special helmet, which can detect objects according to the user’s head orientation.
Adding more sonars to the front pack of the Nav Belt (pointing upwards and downwards) can provide additional information. Both the Nav
Belt and the Guide Cane are novel navigation aids designed to help visually impaired users navigate quickly and safely through densely cluttered environments.
Both devices use mobile-robotics based obstacle-avoidance technologies to determine in real-time, a safe path for travel and to guide the user along that path.
Futre developments:
More sophisticated navigation, similar to that of the NavBelt’s Guidance mode could easily be implemented on the GuideCane, allowing effective interfacing with GPS, mapping, or other orientation/navigation aids.
Combining the skills of a mobile robot with the existing skills of a visually impaired user is the key idea behind the NavBelt and the GuideCane what makes this particular application feasible at the current stage of mobile robotics research.
B.swapna
Introduction
The revolutionary achievements in robotics and bioengineering have given scientists and engineers great opportunities and challenges to serve humanity.
This seminar is about an instrument, which is the outcome of robotics and bioengineering, and it is called “NavBelt and the GuideCane”.
It is a robotics-based obstacle-avoidance system relays information to the user by transmitting stereophonic signals for the blind and visually impaired.
NavBelt is worn by the user like a belt and is equipped with an array of ultrasonic sensors.
It provides acoustic signals via a set of stereo earphones that guide the user around obstacles or “displays” a virtual acoustic panoramic image of the traveller’s surroundings.
A newer device, called GuideCane, effectively overcomes exceedingly difficult for the user to comprehend the guidance signals in time to allow fast walking.
Experimental results conducted with the Navbelt simulator introduces two new concepts to electronic travel aids for the blind: it provides information not only about obstacles along the traveled path, but also assists the user in selecting the preferred travel path.
Improvements:
The Nav Belt is currently not able to detect over hanging objects. This problem can be removed by using a camera and a laser scanner attached to a special helmet, which can detect objects according to the user’s head orientation.
Adding more sonars to the front pack of the Nav Belt (pointing upwards and downwards) can provide additional information. Both the Nav
Belt and the Guide Cane are novel navigation aids designed to help visually impaired users navigate quickly and safely through densely cluttered environments.
Both devices use mobile-robotics based obstacle-avoidance technologies to determine in real-time, a safe path for travel and to guide the user along that path.
Futre developments:
More sophisticated navigation, similar to that of the NavBelt’s Guidance mode could easily be implemented on the GuideCane, allowing effective interfacing with GPS, mapping, or other orientation/navigation aids.
Combining the skills of a mobile robot with the existing skills of a visually impaired user is the key idea behind the NavBelt and the GuideCane what makes this particular application feasible at the current stage of mobile robotics research.
