KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMATIZATION ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGICAL MEANS FOR ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

Abstract

The work is devoted to a detailed review of the main aspects of physical vulnerability for people with visual impairments, as well as technological means for navigation and adaptation to the surrounding environment, which can significantly enhance their sense of safety and security. The relevance of the topic is justified by its large social focus, because such systems help people with visual impairments to socialize more easily and ensure greater inclusion. This is particularly important in urban environments where insufficient attention is paid to inclusivity and the comfort of visually impaired individuals (e.g., lack of audible traffic lights, tactile paving, etc.). The subject of the article is the study of hardware components that ensure the functionality of support systems for people with visual impairments. The goal of this paper is to systematize knowledge about existing technological tools for people with visual impairments and to analyze the hardware characteristics of the components of such solutions. The task of this work is to examine the psychophysiological factors and aspects of physical vulnerability for people with visual impairments, review existing assistance systems for visually impaired individuals, identify the hardware base required for creating a “vision” system of the surrounding environment, and analyze the characteristics of sensors considering the external conditions in which visually impaired people may find themselves. The objectives are achieved through the use of methods such as comparative analysis, classification and categorization, and a systematic review of the literature in the relevant problem domain. The results of the work include a proposed classification of assistive devices for people with visual impairments, which encompasses the following classes: navigation applications and devices; sensory systems for obstacle and object detection; wearable devices with augmented reality (AR) features; “vision” systems for the surrounding environment; and text recognition systems. The evaluation and analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of devices in each of these classes demonstrate that a new solution should meet the criteria of compactness, wearability, energy efficiency, ease of use, and high accuracy in detecting environmental conditions, obstacles, and objects on the user's path. Conclusions. To ensure data complementarity in tasks of detecting moving objects in intelligent assistance systems for visually impaired individuals, the optimal approach is to combine multiple sensors using the Multisensor Fusion methodology. Specifically, this involves high-resolution cameras that provide detailed scene imaging and LiDARs that ensure precise distance measurement and 3D modeling of the environment. Such an approach compensates for the limitations of individual sensors and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the scene, improving data quality through the integration of diverse information sources. Further research will focus on conducting experimental research aimed at practically justifying the joint use of cameras, audio sensors, and LiDARs for obtaining heterogeneous data that provide the most comprehensive depiction of the environment surrounding visually impaired individuals.