Knuesel, R.J. – VEMI Lab /vemi University of Maine Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:40:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 Use of an Indoor Navigation System by Sighted and Blind Travelers: Performance Similarities across Visual Status and Age /vemi/publication/use-of-an-indoor-navigation-system-by-sighted-and-blind-travelers-performance-similarities-across-visual-status-and-age/ Mon, 24 Aug 2020 20:22:57 +0000 /vemi/?post_type=publication&p=2538 This article first reviews the pros and cons of current accessible indoor navigation systems and then describes a study using commercial smart devices to navigate routes through a complex building. Our interest was in comparing performance when using real-time narrative descriptions (system-aided condition) vs. a memory- based condition where the same narrative information was only provided to users from the route’s origin. We tested two groups of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users, including people above and below 60 years of age, as well as a third sighted control group. Evaluating older BVI participants is important, as the major- ity of vision loss is age-related, yet navigation performance using access technology is rarely studied with this demographic. Behavioral results demonstrated that access to real-time (system-aided) information led to better navigation accuracy and greater confidence by blind users compared to the information-matched mem- ory condition. Performance for blind participants over 60 years old was nearly identical with their younger peers—an important outcome supporting the efficacy of using navigational technologies by this fast-growing population. Route completion accuracy and requests for assistance did not reliably differ between blind and sighted participants when using the system, suggesting that access to narrative route information led to functionally equivalent navigation behavior, irrespective of visual status. Survey results revealed strong user support for real-time information and provided important guidance for future interface refinements.

Citation:

Giudice, N.A., Guenther, B.A., Kaplan, T.M., Anderson, S.M., Knuesel, R.J.,  & Cioffi, J.F. (2020). Use of an Indoor navigation system by sighted and blind travelers: Performance Similarities across visual status and age. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS), 13(3), 1-27.

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]]> Indoor magnetic navigation for the blind /vemi/publication/indoor-magnetic-navigation-blind/ Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:00:31 +0000 /vemi/?post_type=publication&p=1105 Abstract: Indoor navigation technology is needed to support seamless mobility for the visually impaired. This paper describes the construction of and evaluation of a navigation system that infers the users’ location using only magnetic sensing. It is well known that the environments within steel frame structures are subject to significant magnetic distortions. These distortions are persistent and have sufficient strength and spatial characteristics to allow their use as the basis for a location technology. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a prototype magnetic navigation system consisting of a wireless magnetometer placed at the users’ hip streaming magnetic readings to a smartphone running location algorithms. Human trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of the system by studying route-following performance with blind and sighted subjects using the navigation system for realtime guidance.

Citation: Riehle, T. H., Anderson, S. M., Lichter, P. A., Giudice, N. A., Sheikh, S. I., Knuesel, R. J., & Kollmann, D. t. (2012). Indoor magnetic navigation for the blind. Proceedings of the 34th annual IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC‘12), (Vol. 2012, , pp. 1972-1975).

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