The long-term objective of our project is to discover the fundamental
principles underlying the collaborative production,
sharing, and management of route information by travelers
with visual impairments. The specific research hypothesis is
two-fold: 1) people with varied levels of vision loss and orientation
and mobility (O&M) skills will be able to form online
social networks that collaboratively manage large route
information collections for different geographic areas, and 2)
members of such networks will be able to successfully travel
through a variety of previously unknown indoor and outdoor
environments of varied complexity when provided with online
verbal route directions referencing landmarks and path
integration information salient to their particular vision and
skill level. In this paper, we report on the initial stage of our
project: an online survey whose objectives are to collect samples
of route descriptions from travelers with visual impairments
and to do the initial profiling of the target population.
The data collected so far provide valuable insights into what
travelers with visual impairments need to know about their
environments in order to travel independently and how they
may communicate that information to their fellow travelers in
the future.
Toward Blind Travel Support through Verbal Route Directions: A Path Inference...Vladimir Kulyukin
The work presented in this article continues our investigation of such assisted navigation solutions where the
main emphasis is placed not on sensor sets or sensor fusion algorithms but on the ability of the travelers to interpret and
contextualize verbal route directions en route. This work contributes to our investigation of the research hypothesis that
we have formulated and partially validated in our previous studies: if a route is verbally described in sufficient and
appropriate amount of detail, independent VI travelers can use their O&M and problem solving skills to successfully
follow the route without any wearable sensors or sensors embedded in the environment.
In this investigation, we temporarily put aside the issue of how VI and blind travelers successfully interpret route
directions en route and tackle the question of how those route directions can be created, generated, and maintained by
online communities. In particular, we focus on the automation of path inference and present an algorithm that may be used
as part of the background computation of VGI sites to find new paths in the previous route directions written by online
community members, generate new route descriptions from them, and post them for subsequent community editing.
iWalker: Toward a Rollator-Mounted Wayfinding System for the ElderlyVladimir Kulyukin
Research on intelligent walkers aims at helping
elderly individuals to maintain their independence in familiar
and unfamiliar environments. Several walkers have been
developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and
the University of Pittsburgh. This article contributes to this
research venue by describing the design and initial evaluations
of iWalker, a multi-sensor rollator-mounted wayfinding system
for the elderly. The primary difference of the proposed
navigation aid from other intelligent walkers is that iWalker is
assumed to operate in a smart world (SW), a physical space
equipped with embedded sensors. By integrating inexpensive
sensors into the environment, the cost and complexity of the
walker can be reduced.
RFID in Robot-Assisted Indoor Navigation for the Visually ImpairedVladimir Kulyukin
We describe how Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) can be used in robot-assisted indoor navigation for
the visually impaired. We present a robotic guide for the
visually impaired that was deployed and tested both with
and without visually impaired participants in two indoor
environments. We describe how we modified the standard
potential fields algorithms to achieve navigation at moderate
walking speeds and to avoid oscillation in narrow spaces.
The experiments illustrate that passive RFID tags deployed
in the environment can act as reliable stimuli that trigger local
navigation behaviors to achieve global navigation objectives.
Toward Blind Travel Support through Verbal Route Directions: A Path Inference...Vladimir Kulyukin
The work presented in this article continues our investigation of such assisted navigation solutions where the
main emphasis is placed not on sensor sets or sensor fusion algorithms but on the ability of the travelers to interpret and
contextualize verbal route directions en route. This work contributes to our investigation of the research hypothesis that
we have formulated and partially validated in our previous studies: if a route is verbally described in sufficient and
appropriate amount of detail, independent VI travelers can use their O&M and problem solving skills to successfully
follow the route without any wearable sensors or sensors embedded in the environment.
In this investigation, we temporarily put aside the issue of how VI and blind travelers successfully interpret route
directions en route and tackle the question of how those route directions can be created, generated, and maintained by
online communities. In particular, we focus on the automation of path inference and present an algorithm that may be used
as part of the background computation of VGI sites to find new paths in the previous route directions written by online
community members, generate new route descriptions from them, and post them for subsequent community editing.
iWalker: Toward a Rollator-Mounted Wayfinding System for the ElderlyVladimir Kulyukin
Research on intelligent walkers aims at helping
elderly individuals to maintain their independence in familiar
and unfamiliar environments. Several walkers have been
developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and
the University of Pittsburgh. This article contributes to this
research venue by describing the design and initial evaluations
of iWalker, a multi-sensor rollator-mounted wayfinding system
for the elderly. The primary difference of the proposed
navigation aid from other intelligent walkers is that iWalker is
assumed to operate in a smart world (SW), a physical space
equipped with embedded sensors. By integrating inexpensive
sensors into the environment, the cost and complexity of the
walker can be reduced.
RFID in Robot-Assisted Indoor Navigation for the Visually ImpairedVladimir Kulyukin
We describe how Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) can be used in robot-assisted indoor navigation for
the visually impaired. We present a robotic guide for the
visually impaired that was deployed and tested both with
and without visually impaired participants in two indoor
environments. We describe how we modified the standard
potential fields algorithms to achieve navigation at moderate
walking speeds and to avoid oscillation in narrow spaces.
The experiments illustrate that passive RFID tags deployed
in the environment can act as reliable stimuli that trigger local
navigation behaviors to achieve global navigation objectives.
Ergonomics-for-One in a Robotic Shopping Cart for the BlindVladimir Kulyukin
Assessment and design frameworks for human-robot teams
attempt to maximize generality by covering a broad range of
potential applications. In this paper, we argue that, in assistive
robotics, the other side of generality is limited applicability: it is
oftentimes more feasible to custom-design and evolve an
application that alleviates a specific disability than to spend
resources on figuring out how to customize an existing generic
framework. We present a case study that shows how we used a
pure bottom-up learn-through-deployment approach inspired by
the principles of ergonomics-for-one to design, deploy and
iteratively re-design a proof-of-concept robotic shopping cart for
the blind.
A Software Tool for Rapid Acquisition of Streetwise Geo-Referenced MapsVladimir Kulyukin
RapGeoRef, a software tool for rapid acquistion of streetwise geo-referenced maps, is
presented. A evaluation study of RapGeoRef was performed on the USU campus with four students.
The participants were told about the purpose of the tool and shown a demo. They were
then asked to construct a geo-referenced database for an area of the USU campus. Upon
completion, they were given the NASA TLX questionnaire to assess the subjective
workload.All participants were able
to complete the task in one day. The analysis of the NASA TLX questionnaire revealed
that the temporal demand was much more prominent to the participants than either
mental or physical effort.
ShopTalk: Independent Blind Shopping Through Verbal Route Directions and Barc...Vladimir Kulyukin
Independent shopping in modern grocery stores that carry thousands of products is a great challenge for people
with visual impairments. ShopTalk is a proof-of-concept wearable system designed to assist visually impaired shoppers
with finding shelved products in grocery stores. Using synthetic verbal route directions and descriptions of the store layout,
ShopTalk leverages the everyday orientation and mobility skills of independent visually impaired travelers to direct
them to aisles with target products. Inside aisles, an off-the-shelf barcode scanner is used in conjunction with a software
data structure, called a barcode connectivity matrix, to locate target product on shelves. Two experiments were performed
at a real world supermarket. A successful earlier single-subject experiment is summarized and a new experiment involving
ten visually impaired participants is presented. In both experiments, ShopTalk was successfully used to guide visually impaired
shoppers to multiple products located in aisles on shelves. ShopTalk is a feasible system for guiding visually impaired
shoppers who are skilled, independent travelers. Its design does not require any hardware instrumentation of the
store and leads to low installation and maintenance costs.
For those who have missed Jaslin's sharing on how just 21 Days at Outward Bound Singapore changed her perspective of life on 11 November 2011, we are pleased to share her slideshow here.
Rijksmonumenten.info - App en layer op basis van open cultuurdata door Arjan den Boer (Archief 2.0 speel-en-deelsessie Open Data/Open Architectuur, 7 november 2011)
Robot-Assisted Wayfinding for the Visually Impaired in Structured Indoor Envi...Vladimir Kulyukin
We present a robot-assisted wayfinding system for the visually impaired
in structured indoor environments. The system consists of a mobile robotic guide
and small passive RFID sensors embedded in the environment. The system is intended
for use in indoor environments, such as office buildings, supermarkets and
airports. We describe how the system was deployed in two indoor environments
and evaluated by visually impaired participants in a series of pilot experiments. We
analyze the system’s successes and failures and outline our plans for future research
and development.
AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED NAVIGATION AND...ijgca
Technological advancement has brought the masses unprecedented convenience, but unnoticed by many, a
population neglected through the age of technology has been the visually impaired population. The visually
impaired population has grown through ages with as much desire as everyone else to adventure but lack
the confidence and support to do so. Time has transported society to a new phase condensed in big data,
but to the visually impaired population, this quick-pace living lifestyle, along with the unpredictable nature
of natural disaster and COVID-19 pandemic, has dropped them deeper into a feeling of disconnection from
the society. Our application uses the global positioning system to support the visually impaired in
independent navigation, alerts them in face of natural disasters, and reminds them to sanitize their devices
during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ergonomics-for-One in a Robotic Shopping Cart for the BlindVladimir Kulyukin
Assessment and design frameworks for human-robot teams
attempt to maximize generality by covering a broad range of
potential applications. In this paper, we argue that, in assistive
robotics, the other side of generality is limited applicability: it is
oftentimes more feasible to custom-design and evolve an
application that alleviates a specific disability than to spend
resources on figuring out how to customize an existing generic
framework. We present a case study that shows how we used a
pure bottom-up learn-through-deployment approach inspired by
the principles of ergonomics-for-one to design, deploy and
iteratively re-design a proof-of-concept robotic shopping cart for
the blind.
A Software Tool for Rapid Acquisition of Streetwise Geo-Referenced MapsVladimir Kulyukin
RapGeoRef, a software tool for rapid acquistion of streetwise geo-referenced maps, is
presented. A evaluation study of RapGeoRef was performed on the USU campus with four students.
The participants were told about the purpose of the tool and shown a demo. They were
then asked to construct a geo-referenced database for an area of the USU campus. Upon
completion, they were given the NASA TLX questionnaire to assess the subjective
workload.All participants were able
to complete the task in one day. The analysis of the NASA TLX questionnaire revealed
that the temporal demand was much more prominent to the participants than either
mental or physical effort.
ShopTalk: Independent Blind Shopping Through Verbal Route Directions and Barc...Vladimir Kulyukin
Independent shopping in modern grocery stores that carry thousands of products is a great challenge for people
with visual impairments. ShopTalk is a proof-of-concept wearable system designed to assist visually impaired shoppers
with finding shelved products in grocery stores. Using synthetic verbal route directions and descriptions of the store layout,
ShopTalk leverages the everyday orientation and mobility skills of independent visually impaired travelers to direct
them to aisles with target products. Inside aisles, an off-the-shelf barcode scanner is used in conjunction with a software
data structure, called a barcode connectivity matrix, to locate target product on shelves. Two experiments were performed
at a real world supermarket. A successful earlier single-subject experiment is summarized and a new experiment involving
ten visually impaired participants is presented. In both experiments, ShopTalk was successfully used to guide visually impaired
shoppers to multiple products located in aisles on shelves. ShopTalk is a feasible system for guiding visually impaired
shoppers who are skilled, independent travelers. Its design does not require any hardware instrumentation of the
store and leads to low installation and maintenance costs.
For those who have missed Jaslin's sharing on how just 21 Days at Outward Bound Singapore changed her perspective of life on 11 November 2011, we are pleased to share her slideshow here.
Rijksmonumenten.info - App en layer op basis van open cultuurdata door Arjan den Boer (Archief 2.0 speel-en-deelsessie Open Data/Open Architectuur, 7 november 2011)
Robot-Assisted Wayfinding for the Visually Impaired in Structured Indoor Envi...Vladimir Kulyukin
We present a robot-assisted wayfinding system for the visually impaired
in structured indoor environments. The system consists of a mobile robotic guide
and small passive RFID sensors embedded in the environment. The system is intended
for use in indoor environments, such as office buildings, supermarkets and
airports. We describe how the system was deployed in two indoor environments
and evaluated by visually impaired participants in a series of pilot experiments. We
analyze the system’s successes and failures and outline our plans for future research
and development.
AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED NAVIGATION AND...ijgca
Technological advancement has brought the masses unprecedented convenience, but unnoticed by many, a
population neglected through the age of technology has been the visually impaired population. The visually
impaired population has grown through ages with as much desire as everyone else to adventure but lack
the confidence and support to do so. Time has transported society to a new phase condensed in big data,
but to the visually impaired population, this quick-pace living lifestyle, along with the unpredictable nature
of natural disaster and COVID-19 pandemic, has dropped them deeper into a feeling of disconnection from
the society. Our application uses the global positioning system to support the visually impaired in
independent navigation, alerts them in face of natural disasters, and reminds them to sanitize their devices
during the COVID-19 pandemic
AN INTELLIGENT SYSTEM FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED NAVIGATION AND...ijgca
Technological advancement has brought the masses unprecedented convenience, but unnoticed by many, a population neglected through the age of technology has been the visually impaired population. The visually impaired population has grown through ages with as much desire as everyone else to adventure but lack the confidence and support to do so. Time has transported society to a new phase condensed in big data, but to the visually impaired population, this quick-pace living lifestyle, along with the unpredictable nature of natural disaster and COVID-19 pandemic, has dropped them deeper into a feeling of disconnection from the society. Our application uses the global positioning system to support the visually impaired in independent navigation, alerts them in face of natural disasters, and reminds them to sanitize their devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aim of this paper is to help the blind people to identify and catch the public transport vehicles with the help of Light Fidelity technology. It is a Navigation aid. When the bus arrives at the bus stand, transmitter in the bus transmits the light signals and receiver in the stick, receives the light signals and a sound signal is generated through the speaker present in the stick. The sound message contains the bus number and the destination of the bus. In addition to this, if the person is absconded or lost, details of the location will be sent to his/her family members by pressing a button. This is made possible with the help of Global System for Mobile (GSM). Finally, presence of water can be detected along the blind person’s path, with the help of water sensors.
This work aims to provide a practical guide to assist students of Computer Science
courses and related fields to conduct a systematic literature review. The steps proposed
in this paper to conduct a systematic review were extracted from a technical report
published by the researcher Bárbara Kitchenham [1] and arranged in a more objective
format, in order to make information more accessible and practical, especially for those
who are having their first contact with this technique.
Accessibility of Visually Impaired Passengers at Urban Railway Stations in th...drboon
Ensuring access to the built environment and public transportation is a crucial element in reducing the mobility constraints of people with disabilities. This study intends to investigate the accessibility of visual impaired passengers regards to interior design of Kelana Jaya Line LRT station. The access audit was evaluated at core area, transition area and peripheral area of selected LRT stations by using site observation and interview research method. A standard checklist was taken in accordance to the Malaysia Standards Code of Practice for Access of Disabled People to Public Buildings (MS1184:2002).The result shows that, although most of the stations accommodate access for disabled people however the design of facilities provided was not fully incorporate with standard requirement and user-friendly. These lead barriers to independent living for persons with disability. As a conclusion, aside from providing a complete of public access facilities, comprehension of social sensitivity and capability to plan for continuity and uniformity should be taken into consideration to eliminate the architectural barriers in the built environment in the future.
Effects of mobility models and nodes distribution on wireless sensors networksijasuc
Wireless sensor networks (WSN) is an important future technology, in several applications in military,
health, environment and industries. Currently the integration of social and sensor is very important by
considering the characteristics of social networks in designing wireless sensor networks WSN for
improvement such as (number of messages from source to destination, radius of coverage, connectivity, and
spreading). This area has not received much attention and few researches focus on the performance
evaluation. In this paper we have studied the impact of different mobility and distribution models which is a
variable one should define which model is best for the infrastructure given their differences, also study
include the exact effect of nodes distribution and analyzed by calculation the number of messages of 12
cases to get a real performance evaluation under different conditions and same routing techniques. This
work provides us a greater understanding and clear an idea of the effect of mobility plus distribution.
Assistance for Better Mobility and Improved Cognition of Elderly Blind and Vi...Andrei Bursuc
Demo talk on the advancements of the ALICE project (http://alice-project.eu/) given during the WIAMIS workshop (http://wiamis2013.wp.mines-telecom.fr/)
The aim of this project is to provide a contextualised, social and historical account of urban education, focusing on systems and beliefs that contribute to the construction of the surrounding discourses.
Another aim of this project is to scaffold the trainee teachers’ understanding of what is possible with mobile learning in terms of filed trips.
Digitizing Buzzing Signals into A440 Piano Note Sequences and Estimating Fora...Vladimir Kulyukin
Digitizing Buzzing Signals into A440 Piano Note Sequences and Estimating Forager Traffic Levels from Images in Solar-Powered, Electronic Beehive Monitoring
Many problems in information retrieval and related fields depend on a reliable measure of the distance or similarity between objects that, most frequently, are represented
as vectors. This paper considers vectors of bits. Such data structures implement entities as diverse as bitmaps that indicate the occurrences of terms and bitstrings indicating the presence
of edges in images. For such applications, a popular distance measure is the Hamming distance. The value of the Hamming distance for information retrieval applications is limited by the
fact that it counts only exact matches, whereas in information retrieval, corresponding bits that are close by can still be considered to be almost identical. We define a "Generalized
Hamming distance" that extends the Hamming concept to give partial credit for near misses, and suggest a dynamic programming algorithm that permits it to be computed efficiently.
We envision many uses for such a measure. In this paper we define and prove some basic properties of the :Generalized Hamming distance," and illustrate its use in the area of object
recognition. We evaluate our implementation in a series of experiments, using autonomous robots to test the measure's effectiveness in relating similar bitstrings.
Adapting Measures of Clumping Strength to Assess Term-Term SimilarityVladimir Kulyukin
Automated information retrieval relies heavily on statistical regularities that emerge as terms are deposited to produce text. This paper examines statistical patterns expected of a pair of
terms that are semantically related to each other. Guided by a conceptualization of the text generation process, we derive measures of how tightly two terms are semantically associated.
Our main objective is to probe whether such measures yields reasonable results. Specifically, we examine how the tendency of a content bearing term to clump, as quantified by previously
developed measures of term clumping, is influenced by the presence of other terms. This
approach allows us to present a toolkit from which a range of measures can be constructed.
As an illustration, one of several suggested measures is evaluated on a large text corpus built from an on-line encyclopedia.
Vision-Based Localization and Scanning of 1D UPC and EAN Barcodes with Relaxe...Vladimir Kulyukin
V. Kulyukin & T. Zaman. "Vision-Based Localization and Scanning of 1D UPC and EAN Barcodes with Relaxed Pitch, Roll, and Yaw Camera A lignment Constraints." International Journal of Image Processing (IJIP), V olume (8) : Issue (5) : 2014, pp. 355-383.
Wireless Indoor Localization with Dempster-Shafer Simple Support FunctionsVladimir Kulyukin
A mobile robot is localized in an indoor environment
using IEEE 802.11b wireless signals. Simple support
functions of the Dempster-Shafer theory are used to combine evidence
from multiple localization algorithms. Emperical results
are presented and discussed. Conclusions are drawn regarding
when the proposed sensor fusion methods may improve performance
and when they may not.
RoboCart: Toward Robot-Assisted Navigation of Grocery Stores by the Visually ...Vladimir Kulyukin
This paper presents RoboCart, a proof-of-concept
prototype of a robotic shopping assistant for the visually
impaired. The purpose of RoboCart is to help visually impaired
customers navigate a typical grocery store and carry purchased
items. The hardware and software components of the system
are presented. For localization, RoboCart relies on RFID tags
deployed at various locations in the store. For navigation, Robo-
Cart relies on laser range finding. Experiences with deploying
RoboCart in a real grocery store are described. The current
status of the system and its limitations are outlined.
This paper examines the appropriateness of natural language dialogue (NLD) with assistive robots. Assistive robots are defined in terms of an existing human-robot interaction taxonomy. A
decision support procedure is outlined for assistive technology
researchers and practitioners to evaluate the appropriateness of
NLD in assistive robots. Several conjectures are made on when
NLD may be appropriate as a human-robot interaction mode.
A Wearable Two-Sensor O&M Device for Blind College StudentsVladimir Kulyukin
A major problem for visually impaired college students is independent campus
navigation. Many universities, such as Utah State University (USU), have no Orientation
and Mobility (O&M) instructors. Thus, visually impaired undergraduates must rely on
their friends, siblings, and even parents to learn their way around a large campus, which
reduces their sense of independence. This paper describes a wearable two-sensor O&M
device for visually impaired USU undergraduates and presents a single subject feasibility
test that estimates how a visually impaired navigator can use the device to learn new
routes on the USU campus.
On the Impact of Data Collection on the Quality of Signal Strength in Wi-Fi I...Vladimir Kulyukin
Wi-Fi signals can be used to localize navigators at topological landmarks in indoor and
outdoor environments. A major issue with Wi-Fi topological localization is calibration.
This paper describes the impact of data collection on the quality of signal strength
signatures.
A brief information about the SCOP protein database used in bioinformatics.
The Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for the structural and evolutionary relationships of proteins. It provides a detailed and curated classification of protein structures, grouping them into families, superfamilies, and folds based on their structural and sequence similarities.
Deep Behavioral Phenotyping in Systems Neuroscience for Functional Atlasing a...Ana Luísa Pinho
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) provides means to characterize brain activations in response to behavior. However, cognitive neuroscience has been limited to group-level effects referring to the performance of specific tasks. To obtain the functional profile of elementary cognitive mechanisms, the combination of brain responses to many tasks is required. Yet, to date, both structural atlases and parcellation-based activations do not fully account for cognitive function and still present several limitations. Further, they do not adapt overall to individual characteristics. In this talk, I will give an account of deep-behavioral phenotyping strategies, namely data-driven methods in large task-fMRI datasets, to optimize functional brain-data collection and improve inference of effects-of-interest related to mental processes. Key to this approach is the employment of fast multi-functional paradigms rich on features that can be well parametrized and, consequently, facilitate the creation of psycho-physiological constructs to be modelled with imaging data. Particular emphasis will be given to music stimuli when studying high-order cognitive mechanisms, due to their ecological nature and quality to enable complex behavior compounded by discrete entities. I will also discuss how deep-behavioral phenotyping and individualized models applied to neuroimaging data can better account for the subject-specific organization of domain-general cognitive systems in the human brain. Finally, the accumulation of functional brain signatures brings the possibility to clarify relationships among tasks and create a univocal link between brain systems and mental functions through: (1) the development of ontologies proposing an organization of cognitive processes; and (2) brain-network taxonomies describing functional specialization. To this end, tools to improve commensurability in cognitive science are necessary, such as public repositories, ontology-based platforms and automated meta-analysis tools. I will thus discuss some brain-atlasing resources currently under development, and their applicability in cognitive as well as clinical neuroscience.
Seminar of U.V. Spectroscopy by SAMIR PANDASAMIR PANDA
Spectroscopy is a branch of science dealing the study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy refers to absorption spectroscopy or reflect spectroscopy in the UV-VIS spectral region.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is an analytical method that can measure the amount of light received by the analyte.
Professional air quality monitoring systems provide immediate, on-site data for analysis, compliance, and decision-making.
Monitor common gases, weather parameters, particulates.
What is greenhouse gasses and how many gasses are there to affect the Earth.moosaasad1975
What are greenhouse gasses how they affect the earth and its environment what is the future of the environment and earth how the weather and the climate effects.
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
Earliest Galaxies in the JADES Origins Field: Luminosity Function and Cosmic ...Sérgio Sacani
We characterize the earliest galaxy population in the JADES Origins Field (JOF), the deepest
imaging field observed with JWST. We make use of the ancillary Hubble optical images (5 filters
spanning 0.4−0.9µm) and novel JWST images with 14 filters spanning 0.8−5µm, including 7 mediumband filters, and reaching total exposure times of up to 46 hours per filter. We combine all our data
at > 2.3µm to construct an ultradeep image, reaching as deep as ≈ 31.4 AB mag in the stack and
30.3-31.0 AB mag (5σ, r = 0.1” circular aperture) in individual filters. We measure photometric
redshifts and use robust selection criteria to identify a sample of eight galaxy candidates at redshifts
z = 11.5 − 15. These objects show compact half-light radii of R1/2 ∼ 50 − 200pc, stellar masses of
M⋆ ∼ 107−108M⊙, and star-formation rates of SFR ∼ 0.1−1 M⊙ yr−1
. Our search finds no candidates
at 15 < z < 20, placing upper limits at these redshifts. We develop a forward modeling approach to
infer the properties of the evolving luminosity function without binning in redshift or luminosity that
marginalizes over the photometric redshift uncertainty of our candidate galaxies and incorporates the
impact of non-detections. We find a z = 12 luminosity function in good agreement with prior results,
and that the luminosity function normalization and UV luminosity density decline by a factor of ∼ 2.5
from z = 12 to z = 14. We discuss the possible implications of our results in the context of theoretical
models for evolution of the dark matter halo mass function.
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
PRESENTATION ABOUT PRINCIPLE OF COSMATIC EVALUATION
The Blind Leading the Blind: Toward Collaborative Online Route Information Management by Individuals with Visual Impairments
1. The Blind Leading the Blind: Toward Collaborative Online Route Information
Management by Individuals with Visual Impairments
Vladimir Kulyukin John Nicholson David Ross
vladimir.kulyukin@usu.edu jnicholson@cc.usu.edu ross0128@bellsouth.net
Department of Computer Science Department of Computer Science Atlanta VA Rehab R&D Center
Utah State University, Logan, UT Utah State University, Logan, UT Atlanta, GA
James Marston Florence Gaunet
marston@geog.ucsb.edu florence.gaunet@wanadoo.fr
Department of Geography Laboratoire d’Eco-Anthropologie
University of California Santa Barbara et d’Ethnobiologie (CNRS-MNHN-ParisVII)
Santa Barbara, CA Paris, France
Abstract ity to travel independently outdoors, impedes spontaneous
use of public transportation, denies them equal access to
The long-term objective of our project is to discover the fun-
damental principles underlying the collaborative production,
buildings, and helps create conditions that cause this group
sharing, and management of route information by travelers to have one of the highest unemployment rates of all dis-
with visual impairments. The specific research hypothesis is abled groups (74%) (Kaye, Kang, & LaPlante 2000).
two-fold: 1) people with varied levels of vision loss and ori- Much R&D effort has been dedicated to wearable assisted
entation and mobility (O&M) skills will be able to form on- navigation solutions using various sensors including GPS
line social networks that collaboratively manage large route (Loomis et al. 2005), infrared (Addlesee et al. 2001), ra-
information collections for different geographic areas, and 2) dio frequency identification (RFID) (Ross 2001), and Wi-Fi
members of such networks will be able to successfully travel (Kulyukin & Nicholson 2005). While these approaches have
through a variety of previously unknown indoor and outdoor shown promise, they have had limited success due to the fol-
environments of varied complexity when provided with on-
lowing gaps.
line verbal route directions referencing landmarks and path
integration information salient to their particular vision and
skill level. In this paper, we report on the initial stage of our Gap 1: Inadequate Investigation of Route Sharing
project: an online survey whose objectives are to collect sam- and Production by the Visually Impaired
ples of route descriptions from travelers with visual impair-
ments and to do the initial profiling of the target population. It is well known that travelers with visual impairments share
The data collected so far provide valuable insights into what verbal route descriptions and traveling experiences with
travelers with visual impairments need to know about their each other (Gaunet & Briffault 2005). The sparseness of the
environments in order to travel independently and how they visually impaired population confines such interactions to
may communicate that information to their fellow travelers in routes in and around public transportation facilities or routes
the future. in and around agencies serving this population. Since routes
around communities and local shopping malls are rarely in
Introduction common, they are never discussed. This situation discour-
ages exploration of new spaces and navigation to unfamiliar
The adoption of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (U.S. areas.
Congress 1973) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of Another problem is that verbal route descriptions which
1990 (ADA) (U.S. Congress 1990) provided legal and fi- visually impaired navigators share with each other and, more
nancial incentives for improvement in universal access (La- importantly, rules that govern their production have not been
Plante & Carlson 1996). Many R&D activities initiated by adequately investigated and formalized. The evaluation of
the Acts focused on removing structural barriers to universal the wayfinding devices typically takes place in very lim-
access: building ramps and bus lifts, developing specialized ited numbers of settings and under limited numbers of con-
interfaces, e.g., haptic, Braille, sip and puff, to electronic ditions. The selection of settings and conditions is unfor-
and mechanical devices, and retrofitting auto vehicles for tunately often determined for the convenience of the re-
wheelchair access. These important pursuits have not re- searchers, not by the concerns of the target population. Poor
moved the main functional barrier faced by people with vi- sales statistics of commercially available wayfinding prod-
sual impairments: the great difficulty of independently ori- ucts indicate that there may be some issues regarding the
enting to, and navigating through, dynamic and complex ev- design of route instructions. They may also indicate that,
eryday environments. This barrier severely limits their abil- if the routes are well described in a given environment, as-
Copyright c 2008, Association for the Advancement of Artificial sisted navigation devices may not be needed at all, at least
Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. for some travelers.
2. Gap 2: Inadequate Profiling skills will be able to form online social networks that collab-
oratively manage large collections of verbal route descrip-
The terms visually impairment, blindness, and low vision
tions for different geographic areas, and 2) members of such
have multiple definitions that depend on the context in which
social networks will be able to successfully travel through
the definition is given. There is a complicated continuum
a variety of previously unknown indoor and outdoor envi-
from total blindness to full sight. It has been shown that even
ronments of varied complexity when provided with online
a slight degree of vision, e.g., light perception, offers sig-
verbal route directions referencing landmarks and path inte-
nificant navigational advantages (Blasch & Stuckey 1995).
gration information salient to their particular vision and skill
Vision, however, is but one component of the traveler’s pro-
level. It should be noted that the first part of our hypoth-
file. Travelers code locations, directions, and distances in
esis is formulated so as to include sighted travelers. Thus,
terms of the information they have about the environment,
our hypothesis is that sighted travelers will be able to col-
prior knowledge, and their sensorimotor abilities. Master-
laborate with visually impaired travelers in managing verbal
ing O&M skills is a life-long process. After receiving basic
route information for various geographic areas.
O&M training from professional O&M instructors, many in-
dividuals with visual impairments improve their O&M skills The hypothesis rests on the considerable body of evidence
through independent navigation and acquire new wayfinding reported in the blind navigation literature that independent
skills, thus changing their initial profiles. travelers with visual impairments successfully share route
knowledge with each other via spoken language (Gaunet &
Gap 3: Small Sample Sizes Briffault 2005). The two assumptions underlying this hy-
pothesis are: 1) as an information delivery mode verbal route
Small sample sizes are a persistent problem in blind navi- directions are easily affordable, accessible, and usable by
gation (Blasch & Stuckey 1995). To some extent, they can many travelers with visual impairments; and 2) this mode
be justified by the uneven distribution of the visually im- avoids such common problems as the loss of GPS signals or
paired population. For example, in the U.S., the majority of the unavailability of geo-referenced digital maps.
people with visual impairments tend to concentrate in a lim-
ited number of urban areas (LaPlante & Carlson 1996). The The long-term specific aims are: 1) to create a large digi-
uneven distribution of the target population makes it very tal database of verbal route descriptions in different environ-
difficult for investigators to make statistically significant in- ments given by travelers with visual impairments; 2) to share
ferences. Small sample sizes have been a serious obstacle to the database with all interested communities; 3) to perform
studying the relationships between different types of visual ontological and statistical analyses of obtained descriptions;
impairments and the ability to understand and follow route 4) to validate the research hypothesis in double-blind navi-
directions. gation trials at various U.S. sites; and 5) to develop a online
community service for visually impaired travelers.
Objectives and Aims We view aim 5 as potentially very useful for various vi-
Many individuals with visual impairments now have Internet sually impaired communities. Goodchild (Goodchild 2007)
access. The web has many personal web pages of visually discusses the evolving area of Volunteer Geographic Infor-
impaired travelers who discuss their traveling experiences mation (VGI), user and community generated GIS tools,
in various geographic areas. Thus, the visually impaired data, and websites. The problem with the current tools and
community appears to be ready to develop electronic social websites is that they target sighted travelers, limiting their
networks for producing, sharing, and managing information use by the visually impaired. We envision a VGI service
pertinent to independent traveling. where the community built map is not visual, but based
on verbal route descriptions. Initial route descriptions may
Another trend is the increased presence on the Internet
be submitted by both sighted and visually impaired travel-
of websites and tools geared towards social networking and
ers. Inadequate route descriptions will be collaboratively
collaborative functionality. Websites and tools, such as
mended, filtered out, or replaced with new ones. Of course,
Flickr, YouTube, and Wikipedia, allow users to create con-
traditional GIS data, such as GPS and compass data, may
tent, collaborate with one another, and organize and share in-
also be incorporated, but the core of the system would be
formation. On these sites, users are allowed and encouraged
based around route descriptions.
to contribute and manage the content, thereby increasing the
amount of shared knowledge available to the community at This paper focuses on primarily on aim 1 and, to some
large. Another feature of many of these sites it that they ei- extent, on aim 2. It is our hope that understanding how visu-
ther provide application programming interfaces (APIs) or ally impaired travelers relate navigational knowledge to each
data downloads, allowing other users to analyze and use the other will help us make more informed decisions about the
data in ways not necessarily intended by the original design- generic functionalities of an online route information shar-
ers. ing service for the visually impaired. Our paper is organized
Our long-term objective is to discover the fundamental as follows. In Section 1, we describe our online route de-
principles underlying the collaborative production, sharing, scription collection from the target population and analyze
and management of route information by travelers with vi- the respondent demographics. In Section 2, we present our
sual impairments. The specific research hypothesis is two- route ontology. In Section 3, we present the results of our
fold: 1) people with varied levels of vision loss and O&M initial route analysis. In Section 4, we give our conclusions.
3. Route Description Collection Field Response Number of
Responses
Gender female 18
In August 2007, the Computer Science Assistive Technol-
male 17
ogy Laboratory of Utah State University (USU CSATL)
age < 20 1
launched a web site with an online survey to collect real-
20 <= age < 30 7
world route descriptions from visually impaired individuals.
30 <= age < 40 6
The site’s URL was advertised through the e-mail channels
Age (in years) 40 <= age < 50 4
of the USU Center for Persons with Disabilities and the Na-
50 <= age < 60 13
tional Federation of the Blind (NFB) Utah Chapter in Salt
60 <= age < 70 3
Lake City, Utah.
70 <= age < 80 1
Participation in this survey was completely voluntary. The high school 3
web site did not collect any personal or identifying informa- Highest some college 6
tion, such as names, addresses, emails, SSNs, or any other education two-year college 3
identifying information. Nor did the web site use cookies to level undergraduate degree 8
track users. graduate degree 15
The survey consisted of two sections. The first sec- Level of complete 18
tion collected demographic information consisting of gen- blindness low-level 17
der, age, education level, level of blindness, number of years years < 10 3
the vision loss has impacted navigation ability, primary nav- Number of years 10 <= years < 20 4
igation aid, whether or not the participant has received O&M navigation 20 <= years < 30 9
training, navigation skill level, and the presence of other dis- impacted by 30 <= years < 40 8
abilities in addition to visual impairment which may affect vision loss 40 <= years < 50 4
navigation. The rating for the navigation skill level is sub- 50 <= years < 60 6
jective in that it asks respondents to rate their own skill level 60 <= years < 70 1
on the scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being ex- fair 4
cellent. Navigation good 5
skill level very good 17
The survey’s second section solicited two route descrip- excellent 9
tions from respondents. The instructions first asked respon- cane 28
dents to describe an outdoor route which could be used to Navigation aid guide dog 6
guide a fellow traveler from the entrance of one building other 1
to the entrance of another building. Respondents were then
Received yes 30
asked to describe an indoor route which could be used to
O&M training no 5
guide a fellow traveler from one room in a building to an-
Has other
other room in the same building. In both cases, the instruc-
impairment yes 7
tions required that respondents describe real-world routes
affecting no 28
with which they were familiar. Respondents were also in-
navigation
structed to write the route descriptions as if they were de-
scribing the route to a fellow traveler with the same visual
Table 1: Respondent demographics
impairments and the same traveling experience and skills.
For example, respondents who used a guide dog were asked
to write their route descriptions so that another guide dog
handler would be able to follow the directions. When writ- Route Ontology
ing the route descriptions, respondents were asked to assume Our ontological analysis of verbal route descriptions is
that the other traveler had no current knowledge of the route rooted in the ontological framework first developed by
they were describing. Lynch (Lynch 1960) and subsequently elaborated by Wun-
As of this writing, we have received 35 responses for a derlich and Reinelt (Wunderlich & Reinelt 1982), Presson
total of 70 route descriptions (35 indoor and 35 outdoor). and Montello (Presson & Montello 1988), and Allen (Allen
The demographics of respondents are summarized in Table 1997; 2000).
1. Seven respondents reported having another impairment Route descriptions are segmented into environmental fea-
which affected their navigation skills. Three respondents tures, delimiters, verbs of movement, and state-of-being
reported having hearing problems, one reported hypopitu- verbs. Environmental features are nominals that refer to ob-
itarism (a disease of the pituitary gland causing symptoms jects or attributes thereof that are perceptible to the naviga-
such as fatigue and muscle weakness), one reported prob- tor. For example, landmarks, pathways and choice points are
lems crossing streets due to post-traumatic stress disorder environmental features. Landmarks are environmental fea-
after an auto-pedestrian accident, one reported an inner ear tures that can function as points of reference. Hill and Pon-
balance disorder that affects mobility and travel skills, and der (Hill & Ponder 1976) define landmarks as any familiar
one reported mobility and gait problems. object, sound, odor, temperature, tactile, or visual clue that
4. is easily recognized, constant, and has a discrete permanent • Delimiters: distance, sequential, spatial, countable, de-
location in the environment known to the navigator. Path- scriptive
ways are nominals referring to channels of movement, e.g.,
• Verbs of movement
streets or hallways. Choice points are points en route where
directional decisions are made, e.g., intersections. • State-of-being verbs: exocentric, egocentric
Delimiters are statements that provide discriminative in-
formation about environmental features (Allen 1997). De- Environmental Features
limiters are subdivided into direction and distance designa- Since visually impaired travelers experience the world dif-
tions. Distance designations are statements that separate en- ferently than sighted travelers, we thought it may be infor-
vironmental features in terms of standard units (e.g., me- mative to see if the objects in the route descriptions fall into
ters), conventional units (e.g., city blocks), and deictic units different groups. We have identified seven categories of fea-
(e.g., nearby). Direction designations describe spatial rela- tures: sense, sight, smell, sound, taste, touch, and named.
tions among environmental features in terms of the allocen- Sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch are objects that a per-
tric (object-to-object) and egocentric (self-to-object) frames son references in relation to a specific sense. For example,
of reference. For example, north of the Main Street is an in the sentence You may smell the food cooking, food would
allocentric direction, whereas to your left is an egocentric be considered an environmental feature related to the smell
direction. Direction designations include such prepositions category. Sight is included since we thought that some par-
and prepositional phrases as to, toward, away from, behind ticipants with low vision may possibly reference limited vi-
of, in front of, beside, between, and across (Talmy 1983). sion information. The sense sub-category is for phrases such
Verbs of movement denote mobility and orientation di- as You will sense an open area to your left. In this case, one
rectives. In the case of sighted travelers, verbs of movement of the specific five senses is not named, but there is a given
are partitioned into two broad semantic categories: go and “feeling” that an object or area is nearby. The named en-
turn (Allen 1997). In the case of visually impaired travel- vironmental feature is a catch-all for any object which does
ers, it is reasonable to expect verbs of movement to include not fit into one of the other environmental feature categories.
references to O&M skills. For example, touch-and-slide to
Of the seven environmental categories, the unclassified
locate the curb refers to one of the four basic cane sensing
named category is used the most, 135 unique objects have
techniques (two-point-touch, three-point-touch, touch-and-
been classified as named. The six most mentioned objects
drag, and touch-and-slide) taught during the O&M training.
are doors (present in 13 of the 20 analyzed descriptions),
Shorelining is another O&M technique whereby the navi-
walls (11 descriptions), entrances (9 descriptions), offices (8
gator three-point-touches with her cane to keep track of a
descriptions), and hallways and elevators (both in 7 descrip-
pathway.
tions).
State-of-being verbs describe relations among environ-
The next largest sub-category for objects is touch (31 ob-
mental features en route (e.g., the bakery is north of the
jects). The three objects most referenced in this category
library) or perceptual experiences (e.g., you will sense an
were walls (5 descriptions), buttons (4 descriptions), and
opening on your right). We expect that the category of
railings (3 descriptions). Another object classified as touch
state-of-being verbs to include many references to percep-
is the cane with which the user walks. This object is unique
tion through sound, touch, and smell, because visually im-
because it could be considered part of the traveler, but it is
paired navigators rely on these sensory inputs to determine
still being referenced in the route description. An example
environmental features.
of cane usage in a description is When your cane hits the
wall, turn right.
Route Analysis The third largest category was sound (28 objects). Ex-
Our route analysis is in its early stages. Currently, the analy- amples of objects in this category are water fountains (2 de-
sis consists of analyzing each individual sentence in each scriptions), echoes (2 descriptions), and doors (2 descrip-
route description and classifying various components ac- tions). Note that doors are sometimes described as a sound
cording to the modified ontology described below. As of feature and sometimes as a named feature. In most cases,
this writing, 20 of the 35 indoor routes have been manually the descriptions reference a door without any special qual-
analyzed and classified. No outdoor route descriptions yet ifier, but there are references to doors, as in Walk until you
have been analyzed. hear the first door and enter, that uniquely identify the sense
In our initial analysis, the four components of the original used by the traveler.
analysis (environmental features, delimiters, verbs of move- We have not yet found many uses of the remaining cat-
ment, and state-of-being verbs) appeared to be too generic. egories. The sense category had two objects: doorway (1
To add specificity, we included sub-categories to three of the description) and wall (1 description). The smell category
components: environment features, delimiters, and state-of- is only referenced with one object: food. No examples of
being verbs. The verbs-of-movement category does not ap- objects in the sight and taste categories have been found yet.
pear to require a finer level of detail. The basic structure of
the ontology is as follows. Delimiters
• Environmental features: sense, sight, smell, sound, taste, We have identified the following categories of delimiters:
touch, named distance, sequential, spatial, countable, and descriptive. A
5. distance delimiter is any word or phrase that refers to mov- their cane. Obstacles and protrusions, such as water foun-
ing some length. A sequential delimiter is one that limits the tains, if not making a sound, are often only detected when
relation of one object to another. For example, in the water contact is made with either the cane or the traveler’s body.
fountain is after the door, the phrase after the door is con- The verbs shoreline (1 description) and trail (2 descrip-
sidered a sequential delimiter. A spatial delimiter is a sort tions) are two commands which reflect a distinct action or
of spatial information that covers directions. A countable method of travel that blind people may need to perform that
delimiter is any delimiter which gives a specific count of an sighted travelers do not. Shorelining, or trailing, is the act
object, e.g. walk past two doors. Finally, the descriptive de- of following the connecting edge of two objects. An exam-
limiters are used for any word or phrase which describes an ple of shorelining indoors is using a cane to follow where a
object. For example, in the steel door frame is to the right, floor and wall meet; outdoors, following where the edge of a
the word steel would be considered a descriptive delimiter sidewalk and the grass meet. This helps keep the individual
since it describes the door frame. traveling in a straight line or following the path of a partic-
The spatial category is the most used delimiter with 184 ular object. Another example specific to a blind traveler is
unique phrases classified. The three most used single word the verb ask, as in ask your dog to find the elevators on the
spatial delimiters are left (20 descriptions), right (19 descrip- left. Given the context of this statement, ask is classified
tions), and straight (13 descriptions). All four compass di- as a verb of movement. Again, this would be specific to a
rections are used as well - north, south, east (4 directions blind user who travels with a guide dog. All three examples
each) and west (3 directions). Other spatial delimiter in- here - shoreline, trail, and ask - can be reduced to go, but
clude such directives as through the door, along that wall, they reflect a go that is specific to individuals with visually
and across from the door. impairments.
The descriptive category is the second most used category
with 132 unique phrases. Unlike the objects, no one descrip- State-of-being verbs
tion appears to be favored over the others. We may need to
Allen defines state-of-being verbs as “verbs which are re-
divide this category into other finer-grained sub-categories.
ducible to is.” (Allen 1997; 2000). The analyzed route de-
One possible sub-category may be texture. Example of tex-
scriptions reflect this definition in that the verb be is used in
tures include references to floors - carpeted, tiled, stone,
17 descriptions. However, to reflect the fact that the visually
bumpy, rough - and door materials - wood, glass, and steel.
impaired often experience the world through senses other
The sequential category with 54 unique phrases includes
than sight, we have created two sub-categories, exocentric
phrases such as before you enter the steel door frames, from
and egocentric, to see if the route descriptions favored one
carpet to stone, and past them there is a large room. As
type of statement over another. State-of-being verbs classi-
with the descriptive category, no single set of phrases stands
fied as exocentric are verbs that describe two more objects
out. The countable category, with 27 unique phrases, tends
without reference to the traveler. For example, in the phrase
to reference specific objects. Typically, it is used to count
the door is to the right of the water fountain, no reference
either the number of doors, floors, or objects in an area that
is made the traveler so the verb be in this phrase would be
need to be passed.
classified as exocentric. State-of-being verbs classified as
The distance category, although the least used category
egocentric describe the environment in terms of the traveler.
with 22 unique phrases, is proving to be informative. There
For example, the phrase the door is to your right describes
are two basic sets of distance measurements used in the ana-
where the door is in relation to the traveler’s position, so in
lyzed route descriptions: the number of steps to take and the
this case the verb be is classified as egocentric.
distance in feet or meters to walk. It appears that steps are
given as a measurement when the distance is very short and When the state-of-being verbs component is divided into
counting is easy - 2, 3, and 6 steps in the routes analyzed so the two categories, the number of unique egocentric verbs is
far. There appears to be a point in the distance where people almost twice the number of exocentric verbs, 44 egocentric
switch over to using feet and meters. The shortest distance versus 21 exocentric. The verb be is still the most used verb
mentioned is 5 feet and the longest distance is 100 feet. In in both categories, 15 descriptions use it in an egocentric
all cases, for both steps and feet/meters, the distance is pre- form and 13 in an exocentric form, but describing the envi-
fixed with the qualifiers about or perhaps. This may reflect ronment in terms of the traveler appears to be more impor-
the understanding for step-type distances that not everyone’s tant than describing the environment in terms of itself. The
stride length is the same and for feet/meter-type distances wider variety of verbs in the egocentric sub-category reflects
that it can be difficult to accurately judge the distance. this. This preference for egocentric descriptions can possi-
bly be explained by the limited range the visually impaired
Verbs of Movement have for sensing the structure and state of the environment
around them.
The three most used verbs of movement are turn (16 de-
scriptions), walk (14 descriptions), and go (9 descriptions).
While these verbs are used by sighted people as well, some Conclusions
descriptions contain verbs that are distinctly related to how If routes are well described for a given environment and col-
the visually impaired travel and observe their environment. lections of route descriptions are made available, then the vi-
When a visually impaired person walks down a hall using a sual impaired will have a powerful tool. University students
cane, they cannot usually detect obstacles beyond the end of new to a campus could independently find their classrooms.
6. Travelers to cities could explore tourist sites in a manner Goodchild, M. F. 2007. Citizens as voluntary sensors:
similar to sighted visitors. The accessibility barriers for vi- spatial data infrastructure in the world of web 2.0. Inter-
sually impaired navigators would be drastically lowered. national Journal of Spatial Data Infrastructures Research
A well-formed ontology for route descriptions to the blind 2:24–32.
will serve multiple purposes. Using the ontology as a guide, Hill, E., and Ponder, P. 1976. Orientation and Mobility
sighted people could be enlisted to initially build and tag ba- Techniques: A Guide for the Practioner. New York, NY:
sic collections of routes. Later, using collaborative tools, the American Foundation for the Blind.
visually impaired could refine the routes, add new tags and Kaye, H. S.; Kang, T.; and LaPlante, M. 2000. Mobil-
routes, and manage the emerging route collections. The on- ity Device Use in the United States, Disability Statistics
tology could also serve to help define a structure that would Report 14. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Educa-
ensure that software tools could be developed to extract and tion, National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Re-
develop new routes from the user-provided data. In time, search.
one can envision databases of route descriptions accessi-
ble through multiple devices such as desktop computer sys- Kulyukin, V., and Nicholson, J. 2005. Wireless localiza-
tems, PDAs, cell phones, and electronic travel aids. Such tion indoors with wi-fi access points. In Proceedings of the
databases would likely be relevant to people with cognitive Conference of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assis-
disabilities, allowing them to travel independently in their tive Technology Society of North America (RESNA-2005).
environment as well. Atlanta, GA: RESNA Press.
We are working toward a collaborative online service that LaPlante, M., and Carlson, D. 1996. Disability in the
can be managed by individuals with visual impairments in- United States: Prevalence and Causes, 1992. Washing-
dependently or as an enhancement to other navigation tech- ton, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Institute
nologies. Many navigation technologies use GPS to guide of Disability and Rehabilitation Research.
travelers around outdoor environments, but GPS does not Loomis, J.; Marston, J.; Golledge, R.; and Klatzky, R.
work indoors. Our service could eventually be used in con- 2005. Personal guidance system for people with visual
junction with GPS and other existing outdoor-oriented travel impairment: A comparison of spatial displays for route
aids to guide an traveler through both indoor and outdoor en- guidance. Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
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Lynch, K. 1960. The Image of the City. Cambridge, MA:
Acknowledgments MIT Press.
The first author would like to acknowledge that this re- Presson, C. C., and Montello, D. R. 1988. Point of ref-
search has been supported, in part, through NEI/NIH grant 1 erence in spatial cognition: Stalking the elusive landmark.
R41 EY017516-01A1, NSF grant IIS-0346880, and several British Journal of Developmental Psychology 6:378–381.
Community University Research Initiative (CURI) grants Ross, D. A. 2001. Implementing assistive technology on
from the State of Utah. wearable computers. IEEE Intelligent Systems 16(3):47–
53.
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