Computer Vision System for the Blind Veteran

VA Office of Research and Development

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Blindness

Treatments: Device: modified system; Device: initial system

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT00920231

C6731-R

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a feasibility study involving a small number of blind subject to evaluate the effectiveness of using a software and associated hardware components to assist the blind in identifying and locating objects of interests and to assist in way finding tasks. After the system has been successfully tested by the blindfolded engineers, it will be evaluated in a small number of blind subjects.

Full description

This is primarily an engineering project to develop computer vision algorithms for an integrated system comprising of a laptop computer, webcam, gps, digital compass, microphone, and stereo earphones. The system will be voice controlled. The algorithm will be trained to identify and located objects and navigationally landmarks in real-time, previously selected by sighted developers. After the system has passed objective engineering milestones, blind subjects will be tested to determine whether the novel system will improve the ability of the blind to travel over a test course in a hospital setting.

Enrollment: 16 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age 18 and over
• legally blind

Exclusion criteria

• decreased hearing
• unable to understand or follow instructions
• inability to walk and stand for 10 minutes

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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16 participants in 2 patient groups

Arm 1 initial system

Experimental group

Description:

8 blind subjects are asked to use a prototype computer vision system to determine the challenges facing computer vision based indoor navigation. Subjects are asked to travel through the hallways of a large hospital from the front entrance to a side entrance. The pathway consists of 9 segments including corners, four-way intersections, and doorways, and the total length of the route was approximately 200 meters. This challenging route was designed to stress the capabilities of the navigation system. It is a route that even sighted persons may find difficult to follow without practice. Pedestrian traffic was present throughout the route and lighting conditions could change in two of the segments where there were windows and doors.

Treatment:

Device: initial system

Arm 2 modified system

Experimental group

Description:

The system is redesigned in response to problems identified from the first phase of the study. The redesigned system is tested by a second set of 8 blind subjects in the same indoor path as used in Arm 1.

Treatment:

Device: modified system