Depth Sensor Overlay for Accessibility Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Accessibility features in listings on online marketplaces, such as doorway widths and amenity heights, are difficult to determine or verify, leading to uncertainties for users with accessibility needs.
Innovation Solution
An accessibility measurement system that uses a computing device with sensors and a depth camera to accurately measure distances between surfaces, allowing users to overlay these measurements onto images of the space, thereby enhancing the visibility of accessibility features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional photo-based listing descriptions are used, then the listing can be simple and easy to create, but accessibility features cannot be accurately determined or verified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a computing device with depth sensor as an intermediary tool between the user and the physical space. This device captures depth information and generates overlay images that visually represent accessibility measurements, bridging the gap between simple photo descriptions and precise measurement verification without requiring complex manual measurement procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical measurement methods (physical tapes, rulers, manual measurements) with optical and electronic sensing systems. The depth sensor captures spatial information automatically, and the system processes this data to generate visual overlays, substituting mechanical measurement with automated sensor-based measurement
2Reliability
If no accessibility measurement system is used, then the booking process remains simple, but users with accessibility needs face uncertainty about listing accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The computing device acts as a trusted intermediary that objectively measures and verifies accessibility features. It generates reliable measurement data through depth sensing and presents this information in an easily consumable visual format, establishing trustworthiness without requiring users to perform complex verification procedures themselves
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides immediate visual feedback through overlay images that show accessibility measurements directly on the listing photos. This feedback mechanism allows users to quickly assess accessibility without waiting for separate verification processes, making the reliability information accessible and actionable
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables users to accurately assess the accessibility of listings, reducing the risk of booking inaccessible accommodations and enhancing the overall booking experience for users with disabilities.
Implementation Method 1
analyzing pixel measurements from the depth sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided to analyze at least one sensor of a computing device to determine that the computing device is in a substantially flat position on the first surface, activate a camera comprising a depth sensor, and detect a second surface in a camera view of the camera. The computing device further analyzes pixel measurements from the depth sensor in a predefined area of the detected second surface to determine a minimum measurement of all of the pixel measurements in the predefined area of the detected surface, causes display of the minimum measurement from the first surface to the second surface overlaid on an image of the first and second surface in the camera view on a user interface of the computing device, and captures an image of the display.