acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

ACM TechNews

Researchers Developed Backpack System to Guide Vision-Impaired Wearers


View as: Print Mobile App Share:
A test subject wears the backpack.

Researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a backpack system to help vision-impaired wearers understand and navigate their surroundings.

Credit: Jagadish K. Mahendran/Institute for Artificial Intelligence/University of Georgia

An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered backpack developed by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers can help vision-impaired wearers navigate their environment.

The tool employs a Luxonis OAK-D spatial 4K camera equipped with an on-chip edge AI processor and Intel's Movidius image processing technology.

The camera is bundled inside a vest or fanny pack, while Intel's OpenVINO toolkit is used for inferencing; the system can operate for up to eight hours via a pocket-sized battery, while the backpack also holds a lightweight computer with a global positioning system unit.

The UGA researchers said the system can detect obstacles and relay the wearer's whereabouts through audio prompts, as well as reading traffic signs and identifying changes in elevation.

From Engadget
View Full Article

 

Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

No entries found

Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account