Objective
The Autonomous System for Mobility, Orientation, Navigation and Communication is an easy to use portable aid for blind, low vision and older people which enables them to find their way in unknown (e.g. city) environments.
Currently there are no versatile mobility aids available which allow blind or elderly people to travel independently in unknown environments. One of the most commonly used aids is the long cane which allows a blind person to avoid obstacles (Mobility). Orientation and Navigation however, have to be handled by the blind person him/herself, and as a consequence s/he can only be autonomous in a familiar environment. The other very common mobility aid is the guide dog which provides a blind person with some help with orientation since the dog can be told to find stairs or doors. None of these aids will help a person to find their way in a totally unknown environment
The objectives of the ASMONC project are -
1. Mobility and Orientation : To provide a system which will give local guidance to blind people so that they can walk confidently in areas with, for example, street and office furniture and can handle kerbs and steps.
2. Navigation : To provide blind or partially sighted persons with accurate information regarding location (in towns and in the countryside) to allow them to find locations even in unknown environments.
3. Communication : To provide partially sighted or older people with communication services like help requests, guidance to bus stops etc.
Technical Approach : The software and hardware resulting from the project will include - a demonstrator-hardware, probably in the form of a rucksack with sensor-attachments and a special 'guidance-and interface-handle', including high processing-power and systems-software to co-ordinate and manage internal functions and the interface.
Developments needed include
a) close-range sensing (ultrasound- infrared- and video- sensors with associated evaluation-processing)
b) a navigation-component (small receivers for satellite navigation systems plus simple inertial sensors and dead reckoning) and
c) an extremely simple-to-handle interface which needs to be combined with a mobile cellular-phone module (GSM, speech and digital system-information).
Impact and Expected Results : Innovative aspects of the project include - the combination of the system-features with a special ergonomic and easy-to-use guidance and communication interface using mechanical forces, vibrators, reliable speech recognition (about 20 words only), a synthetic speech-output plus a normal phone. The system can not only be used by blind people but through use of the automatic help requests, by mentally disabled or older people also.
It is estimated that about 1- to 2 million blind, low-vision and/or older persons, as well as other groups of disabled in Europe, could potentially benefit from this system. It is clear that the need for such a system exists - a need which is not addressed e.g. by guide-dogs, in particular the positioning-aspect of the system.
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Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
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Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
68794 Oberhausen-Rheinhausen
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.