NavWear: design and evaluation of a wearable device for obstacle detection for blind and visually impaired people.
Purpose: Wearable devices have been developed to improve the outdoor mobility of blind and visually impaired (BVI) people. While the functionality of these solutions has been widely evaluated, research on user-device interaction remains scarce. This study describes the development and evaluation of...
| Publicado en: | Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology Vol. 20; no. 6; pp. 1800 - 1815 |
|---|---|
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
| Formato: | algorithm pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Aug2025
|
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=187408897&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 187408897 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 17483107 1X04 jtl: Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology issn: 17483107 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Aug2025 vid: 20 iid: 6 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania artinfo: ui: 187408897 183784185 187408897 187408897 10.1080/17483107.2025.2477681 187408897 ppf: 1800 ppct: 15 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: NavWear: design and evaluation of a wearable device for obstacle detection for blind and visually impaired people. aug: au: dos Santos, Aline Darc Piculo Loureiro, Matheus Machado, Fabiana Frizera, Anselmo Medola, Fausto Orsi affil: Department of Project, School of Architecture, Urbanism and Design, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil sug: subj: Wearable Sensors Evaluation Wearable Sensors Equipment and Supplies Equipment Design Assistive Technology Devices Utilization Monitoring, Physiologic Vision Disorders Physical Mobility Persons with Disabilities Psychosocial Factors Patient Safety Assistive Technology Human Male Female Adult Middle Age Task Performance and Analysis Comparative Studies Assistive Technology Devices Evaluation Canes Utilization Convenience Sample Descriptive Statistics Brazil Academic Medical Centers Experimental Studies Repeated Measures Data Analysis Software Analysis of Variance Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test Friedman Test Scales Wearable Sensors Utilization Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Male Female ab: Purpose: Wearable devices have been developed to improve the outdoor mobility of blind and visually impaired (BVI) people. While the functionality of these solutions has been widely evaluated, research on user-device interaction remains scarce. This study describes the development and evaluation of the Navigation Wearable System (NavWear), a wearable device for obstacle detection to assist the outdoor mobility of BVI people. Materials and Methods: The system is based on an RGB-D camera and haptic feedback, integrated into a backpack developed to improve usability and user interaction. Ten blindfolded participants were recruited to evaluate the prototype and completed obstacle courses in three conditions: (i) NavWear; (ii) white cane, and (iii) both devices combined to compare their performance and perceived usability. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that using the NavWear with the white cane resulted in fewer obstacle collisions, less frustration, and a higher perception of safety. These findings suggest that the prototype can potentially assist the outdoor mobility of BVI people. The results also provide new insights into improving the prototype, including contributions to the design of assistive technology devices that can lead to the engaged use of these devices. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Wearable systems have been proposed for obstacle detection for blind and visually impaired people; however, they mainly focus on functionality, neglecting other aspects that influence usability such as comfort and ease of use. We designed and evaluated a wearable system for obstacle detection for blind and visually impaired people considering the functionality, ergonomics, and usability. The evaluation of the prototype involved mixed methods, including participant feedback and performance metrics, in a controlled environment simulating daily mobility activities and real obstacles. Participants reported feeling less frustrated, safer, and more confident using the prototype with the white cane. Using the wearable system with the white cane showed the potential to improve mobility and contribute to social participation. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: algorithm pictorial research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
|---|