TY - JOUR
T1 - Commute Booster
T2 - A Mobile Application for First/Last Mile and Middle Mile Navigation Support for People With Blindness and Low Vision
AU - Feng, Junchi
AU - Beheshti, Mahya
AU - Philipson, Mira
AU - Ramsaywack, Yuvraj
AU - Porfiri, Maurizio
AU - Rizzo, John Ross
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 IEEE.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Objective: People with blindness and low vision face substantial challenges when navigating both indoor and outdoor environments. While various solutions are available to facilitate travel to and from public transit hubs, there is a notable absence of solutions for navigating within transit hubs, often referred to as the 'middle mile'. Although research pilots have explored the middle mile journey, no solutions exist at scale, leaving a critical gap for commuters with disabilities. In this paper, we proposed a novel mobile application, Commute Booster, that offers full trip planning and real-time guidance inside the station. Methods and procedures: Our system consists of two key components: the general transit feed specification (GTFS) and optical character recognition (OCR). The GTFS dataset generates a comprehensive list of wayfinding signage within subway stations that users will encounter during their intended journey. The OCR functionality enables users to identify relevant navigation signs in their immediate surroundings. By seamlessly integrating these two components, Commute Booster provides real-time feedback to users regarding the presence or absence of relevant navigation signs within the field of view of their phone camera during their journey. Results: As part of our technical validation process, we conducted tests at three subway stations in New York City. The sign detection achieved an impressive overall accuracy rate of 0.97. Additionally, the system exhibited a maximum detection range of 11 meters and supported an oblique angle of approximately 110 degrees for field of view detection. Conclusion: The Commute Booster mobile application relies on computer vision technology and does not require additional sensors or infrastructure. It holds tremendous promise in assisting individuals with blindness and low vision during their daily commutes. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: Commute Booster translates the combination of OCR and GTFS into an assistive tool, which holds great promise for assisting people with blindness and low vision in their daily commute.
AB - Objective: People with blindness and low vision face substantial challenges when navigating both indoor and outdoor environments. While various solutions are available to facilitate travel to and from public transit hubs, there is a notable absence of solutions for navigating within transit hubs, often referred to as the 'middle mile'. Although research pilots have explored the middle mile journey, no solutions exist at scale, leaving a critical gap for commuters with disabilities. In this paper, we proposed a novel mobile application, Commute Booster, that offers full trip planning and real-time guidance inside the station. Methods and procedures: Our system consists of two key components: the general transit feed specification (GTFS) and optical character recognition (OCR). The GTFS dataset generates a comprehensive list of wayfinding signage within subway stations that users will encounter during their intended journey. The OCR functionality enables users to identify relevant navigation signs in their immediate surroundings. By seamlessly integrating these two components, Commute Booster provides real-time feedback to users regarding the presence or absence of relevant navigation signs within the field of view of their phone camera during their journey. Results: As part of our technical validation process, we conducted tests at three subway stations in New York City. The sign detection achieved an impressive overall accuracy rate of 0.97. Additionally, the system exhibited a maximum detection range of 11 meters and supported an oblique angle of approximately 110 degrees for field of view detection. Conclusion: The Commute Booster mobile application relies on computer vision technology and does not require additional sensors or infrastructure. It holds tremendous promise in assisting individuals with blindness and low vision during their daily commutes. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: Commute Booster translates the combination of OCR and GTFS into an assistive tool, which holds great promise for assisting people with blindness and low vision in their daily commute.
KW - General transit feed specification
KW - indoor navigation
KW - low-vision aid
KW - mobile application
KW - optical character recognition
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U2 - 10.1109/JTEHM.2023.3293450
DO - 10.1109/JTEHM.2023.3293450
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85164432489
SN - 2168-2372
VL - 11
SP - 523
EP - 535
JO - IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine
JF - IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine
ER -