They develop an indoor location solution for the blind based on augmented reality
The University of Salamanca (USAL), in collaboration with the companies Oesía and Tecnalia Research & Innovation, has developed the '3DMovRA' platform, an indoor location solution that combines augmented reality and intelligent systems to promote mobility through these spaces for people with visual disabilities.
The University of Salamanca has participated in the development of a location solution with augmented reality for people with visual disabilities that corrects GPS problems in indoor spaces. This solution, carried out by USAL in collaboration with companies Oesia y Tecnalia, has been defined by its creators as “the most sophisticated on the market”, as reported through a statement sent to Europa Press.
Unlike GPS systems used by devices for outdoor locations, what “They are not operational in indoor or underground spaces”, the '3DMovRA' platform’ Take advantage of different technological capabilities integrated into smartphones’ to get a location “extremely accurate” in closed spaces. Specifically, The platform captures information from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, which, together with the characteristics of a compass or an accelerometer, provides positioning.
This system is based on augmented reality, in a way that allows providing virtual information about the physical world to the user, what makes your experience “more complete and unique”, as stated by the manager responsible for the Oesía Mobility and Internet of Things Competence Center, Carlos Boto, who has stressed that the platform provides the user with a “sixth sense” with a location “very precise” indoors and perspective “superior” from the real physical world. So, The possibilities of the initiative for those with visual disabilities range from shopping centers to fairs, museums, office complexes and other closed spaces.
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This is the first platform developed “completely in Spain” that combines the indoor location system with augmented reality. The Bioinformatics Research Group has participated on behalf of the University of Salamanca, Intelligent Systems and Educational Technology (Visit), whose director and dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Juan Manuel Corchado Rodríguez, has remembered the “multiple applications” of augmented reality in the field of leisure or advertising, but it has highlighted the possibilities to become a “ideal element” in the development of educational and entertainment environments “for both children and professionals”, as well as in security and location, thanks to their combination “with intelligent systems”.
For your part, the director of the business area of 'Service Industry’ of the ICT-ESI Division of Tecnalia, Ana Ayerbe, has highlighted the “advantage” What does it mean for the user to not have to purchase “additional devices” because “Experience in the field of computer vision and advanced graphics”, along with algorithms “more efficient”, allows “implement an augmented reality interface on practically any smartphone’ available today on the market”.
Another notable feature of the '3DMovRa' platform’ It is its 'user friendly' design, which makes it possible for users to simply download the site map to their mobile device before entering the building and a thin client to use it.
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