Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers

Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support IndoorNavigation for Blind TravelersAbstract: COVID-19 has made traveling as a blind or visually impaired person much riskier and moredifficult than before the pandemic. As a result, people with visual impairments may limit theiressential travel such as trips to the doctor's office, the pharmacy and grocery shopping andwalks for exercise or leisure. Accordingly, the goal of this COVID Supplement, which builds onand expands the work being conducted by the parent grant, is to develop a COVID map toolthat provides fully accessible, non-visual access to maps. This tool will allow visually impairedpersons to explore maps and preview routes from the comfort of their home, allowing them toplan their travel along safer, less congested routes using crowdedness data. In addition, the toolwill present county-by-county COVID incidence data in a fully accessible form, which will informtheir travel plans over greater distances. Thus, this project will give visually impaired personsthe tools and confidence to undertake safer, more independent travel.