Location based Services for the Blind Supported by RFID Technology

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2014.02.002Get rights and content
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Abstract

Nowadays, navigation systems are widely used to find the correct path, or the quickest, between two places. These systems use the Global Positioning System (GPS) and only work well in outdoor environment since GPS signals cannot easily penetrate and/or are greatly degraded inside of buildings. Several technologies have been proposed to make navigation inside of buildings possible. One such technology is Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID). In the case of outside environments, some hybrid systems have been proposed that use GPS as main information source and RFID for corrections and location error minimization. In this article we propose a navigation system that uses RFID as the main technology to guide people with visual impairment in unfamiliar environments, both indoor and outdoor, complementing the traditional white cane and providing information about the user's geographical context.

Keywords

RFID
location-based
services
blind
navigation

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Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Programme Committee of the 5th International Conference on Software Development and Technologies for Enhancing Accessibility and Fighting Info-exclusion (DSAI 2013).