Using audio augmented reality to guide blind people in the street

Abstract - At Dreamwaves we are developing an intuitive audio navigation system using augmented reality and spatial audio to provide an easy navigation experience. One of our main target groups is blind and visually impaired people as they are the individuals that can benefit the most from such a navigation tool. Therefore, we focus strongly on designing our app to be accessible to this group while keeping it pleasant and appealing for other groups. On the other hand, in order to be intuitive, we require precise localization of the user’s device within the city as well as realistic 3D sound. In this talk, I will discuss how we try to meet this triple challenge. For the app to thrive we need to be on the forefront of computer vision methods for accurate localization, of binaural virtual audio for the most intuitive audio rendering and universal design to deliver the right interaction and experience. Though this may seem overwhelming, it is also what makes it extremely exciting.

https://www.dreamwaves.io/