[Greater-baltimore] Research on Navigation for the Blind

[Riccobono, Mark]

I have been asked to share this announcement.


Recruitment Letter for the Blind and Visually Impaired

We are Team NAVIGATE of the Gemstone program, part of the Honors College at the University of Maryland College Park. The Gemstone program is a four-year interdisciplinary research program for selected undergraduate honors students. Students conduct independent research, often exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society. Team NAVIGATE is striving to use the Microsoft Kinect system to develop a portable navigational aid for the blind and visually impaired. We ask for your assistance with this project as a participant in helping to develop and testing our prototype device.

                As a participant, you would be asked to be interviewed about your experiences with navigation on a daily basis. Additionally, we would like your input in what features you would like to see in the navigational aid, especially how the device would communicate with you. If you so choose, you would be asked to return for a follow-up activity with the newly created device based on input from you and other participants. You would be asked to navigate through an everyday indoor obstacle course using our device, while retaining the usage of your walking cane. After, you will be surveyed about your experience with this device using the PIADS (Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale) survey.

                Your input would be beneficial to the completeness of this project. We, Team NAVIGATE, would like to build a device that is easy to use, and therefore any suggestions and comments will be monumental.

                If you are interested in participating in our project or would like to hear more about our project please be in touch with Yael Osman via email (ybo93 at optonline.net<mailto:ybo93 at optonline.net>) or phone (201-478-0591). Thank you so much for your help!


- Team NAVIGATE