Design applied to the mobility of visually impaired people: a proposal for research and innovation

• Grant number: 19/14438-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Industrial Design - Product Design
• Principal Investigator: Fausto Orsi Medola
• Grantee: Aline Darc Piculo dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura, Artes e Comunicação (FAAC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The vision is a great allied in the locomotion process and its absence influences the motor control, increasing the risks of accidents and making it necessary the use of Assistive Technologies (ATs) to obtain efficient mobility, with safety and autonomy. Design and ergonomics perform an important role in the development of ATs, contributing to aspects of the interface with the user - such as efficiency and satisfaction - besides innovation. The white cane, AT commonly used for mobility, does not detect obstacles above the waistline, putting in risk its users. Studies indicate an increasing interest in the development of solutions for the mobility problem of visually impaired people; however, most studies address only functional aspects of the devices. There are few studies addressing the aspects related to the interaction between user and device, which can influence the acceptance and satisfaction with the product. Thus, it is necessary to investigate what characteristics influence the performance as well as the perception about devices and its users, and how this affects the satisfaction and social inclusion of the visually impaired person. This study aims to develop and evaluate a new design of a mobility device for visually impaired people. The procedures involve evaluations with blindfolded and visually impaired participants that will perform mobility activities with the prototype and the white cane in a path with obstacles. The dependent variables walking speed and detection of obstacles, and the perceptive variables related to the interaction of users with the devices will be evaluated. It is expected, with this study, to contribute to the innovation and usability in the production of mobility devices for visually impaired people that improve the users' navigation and acceptance. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DOS SANTOS, ALINE DARC PICULO; SUZUKI, ANA HARUMI GROTA; MEDOLA, FAUSTO ORSI; VAEZIPOUR, ATIYEH. A Systematic Review of Wearable Devices for Orientation and Mobility of Adults With Visual Impairment and Blindness. IEEE ACCESS, v. 9, p. 162306-162324, 2021. (19/14438-4)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SANTOS, Aline Darc Piculo dos. Design and mobility of visually impaired people: development and evaluation of a wearable system for obstacle detection and communication. 2023. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Arquitetura. Artes. Comunicação e Design. Bauru Artes.