Head-worn Gaze Tracking and Walking Distance Sensor for Visually Impaired Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with tunnel vision, blindness, or low vision face challenges in orienting themselves and navigating towards targets due to limited peripheral vision, as existing technologies like optical devices and navigation systems are inadequate in providing non-visual guidance and accurate angular information, especially in indoor settings without pre-existing maps or GPS signals.
Innovation Solution
A head-worn electronics unit that measures gaze angle and provides audio or tactile feedback to guide the user's gaze towards a target, integrated with a walking-distance sensor using convolution techniques for accurate distance measurement, and interfacing with navigation systems like GPS for hands-free navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If optical devices and navigation systems are used, then location information can be provided, but non-visual guidance and accurate angular information are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the navigation task into two independent components: a head-worn unit for precise angular measurement and gaze tracking, and a separate computing device for path calculation and navigation logic. This segmentation allows each component to excel at its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational system that processes raw angular data from sensors and translates it into actionable navigation instructions. This intermediary layer bridges the gap between precise measurement and user-friendly guidance, enabling both high precision and ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If GPS and navigation systems are used, then route computation is improved, but guidance in indoor settings without pre-existing maps or GPS signals deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-service through sensor fusion and dead reckoning algorithms that allow the device to compute position and orientation using only onboard sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) without external infrastructure. The device serves its own navigation needs independently in GPS-denied environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system is designed to be universal by implementing multiple positioning methods that work across different environments. It can switch between GPS-based navigation outdoors and sensor-based dead reckoning indoors, providing reliable guidance regardless of location or available infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors and cameras are used, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing functions (acceleration measurement, rotational rate detection, magnetic field sensing) into a single integrated head-worn unit. This consolidation achieves high measurement precision while reducing overall system complexity compared to using separate devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The head-worn device is designed as a multi-functional unit that performs gaze tracking, head orientation measurement, and motion detection using a integrated sensor suite. This universal design reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining high measurement accuracy across multiple parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A system provides feedback to a user to guide the user to point a part of the body at a target of interest. An angle sensor senses the angle in which the part of the user's body is pointing, such as the head or the hand. The system computes the angle to a target and compares to the angle in which the part of the user's body is pointing and the feedback indicates to the user how to point more closely to the direction of the target. Additional sensors allow the system to update the angle to the target as the position of the user changes. A walking sensor is disclosed to accurately measure the position of the user.