Mini-Review of Technologies for Mobility of the Visually Impaired

Guillaume Tatur¹ and Edwige Pissaloux*²

Received: September 07, 2018;   Published: September 12, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.09.001732

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Abstract

As mobility is significantly correlated with autonomy and quality of life, a clear majority of the developed approaches and devices dedicated to visually impaired individuals attempts to augment or support orientation and mobility abilities and maximize independence and safety. Therefore, various methods and technical solutions have been proposed for generating a representation of the visual scene and transmitting this information to the user. As different visual impairments can be distinguished, from congenital blindness to low vision, dedicated solutions have been put forward to accommodate these different needs and abilities. These solutions may be used universally or take advantage of the specificity of the visual impairment (e.g. low vision, late blindness). Through the presentation of sensory supplementation, technical aids and visual neuro-prostheses studies, we will explore some of the approaches and technical solutions that have been proposed or are still in development. Additionally, we will discuss the benefits of providing specialized information dedicated to mobility as opposed to a general-purpose representation.

Abbreviations: VI- Visually Impaired; TVSS- Tactile Vision Substitution System; TDU- Tongue Display Unit; RP- Retinitis Pigmentosa; AMD- Age Related Macular Degeneration; DBR- Depth-Based Representation; LBR- Luminosity-Based Representation

Abstract | Introduction | Technical Aid and Sensory Supplementations Systems | Using Residual Vision: Augmented and Virtual Reality Devices | Visual Neuro-Prosthesis | Conclusion | References |