<title>Toward a vision system for blinds</title>

Abstract

This paper addresses design principles and definition of a non-invasive vision system assisting blinds in their displacements in non-cooperating environment. The global environment perception and understanding is a key problem for such systems. The optical vision is one of sense providing the global information on nearest environment; its association with convenient global environment representation transmitted to blinds via tactile interface allows blinds to locate all moving and fixed obstacles. Adding vision sensor to electronic travel aid (ETA) for blinds increases blinds autonomy, helps them to orient and move in safety in 3D environment. The announced principles for vison-based ETA can be easily transposed to any robotics, and especially humanoids, vison system.