VICOMTech IK4 develops a personal virtual Guide for people with vision problems

-A terminal for satellite navigation will guide people through a path preset using acoustic signals and audio technologies

-the goal is to provide these people in an accurate and reliable application that will enhance their autonomy daily.

-you caná be used by people with visual disabilities of any grade or even rescue teams

-project, financed by the European Commission, obtained the highest possible score in his evaluation.

Donostia-San Sebastián, October 2011.- In April 2009 the club Mountains without Barriers ” (mountains without barriers) departed for the sixth highest mountain in the world: Cho Oyu (8,201 m high). Among the members of the expedition had, for the first time, a partially blind person trying to reach a peak of over eight thousand meters. Where a disabled person can walk safely through a preset path, in a dangerous environment, is a slow and delicate task that requires the continuous assistance from other persons.

this story serves as a context for understanding one of the projects in which works now Vicomtech-IK4. The project is called ARGUS and materialize a virtual guide that a person with visual impairment of any degree may perceive and follow. It focuses on the development of a terminal of satellite navigation to guide people with vision problems through a preset path, using acoustic signals and audio technologies. The objective is to provide these people in an accurate and reliable application that enhances your daily autonomy. ARGUS will act as the main climber which provides a safety rope people who follow, thus leaving you a safe passage.

Mode of operation

The acoustic guide is based on the use of technologies holofónicas. The technical holofónicas apply the concept of the image hologram to the sound, thereby producing a three-dimensional effect of acoustic signals that serve to perceive the distance that has produced a sound and from what direction

Different tracks will be presented as a sequence of sounds that will allow users to build a mental map identifying the following points are for appearing a few meters later.

The route can be selected on some tracks previously recorded or selecting just an origin and destination. The system will also have a care and service based platform architecture client-server offering services through the three stages of the journey, that is, before (planning), during (visiting the destination) and then (remembering and sharing experiences). This will allow:

-prepare the itinerary at home, taking into account the specific processes of score, allowing the integration of the safety of the route in the calculation of the itinerary.

-manage your itinerary in real-time with a positioning exact.

-contact the call center for any technical request or practice (such as schedule a modified itinerary or a new application of track).

-share experiences with other users, improving the system and enrich the database of locations with personal comments and points of interest (POI) through the community of the web (social network).

Demographic trends studies show that for the year 2050 more than 30% of the population of the countries member of the European Union will have more than 65 years. More in-depth studies note that 0.2% of the population is blind and 1.3 per cent also has serious problems of vision., ARGUS is also a valid solution for rescue teams. In these cases the user will have less stress and safer movements about known routes.

Other aspects

The ARGUS project is funded by the European Commission. Led by Vicomtech-IK4, the Consortium’s work consists of Siemens AG (Germany), TeleConsult Austria (Austria), CEIT Alanova (Austria), The 425 Company (UK), OK Systems (Spain). The project received the highest possible rating in its evaluation.

Vicomtech-IK4

VICOMTech-IK4 is a centre of applied research that guides its activities to the field of interactive computer graphics and multimedia technology. Specifically, it is dedicated to the visual interaction and communications technologies.

This research center, who was born in the year 2001, was founded by INI – GraphicsNet (a foundation of the German group Fraunhofer IGD, integrated network of technological centres of greater prestige at international level) and EiTB. Later, in 2005, the number of members was increased and is currently composed of 20 members of various social and business areas.