[NFB-DC] Research Participation Request: INVLM-Based Indoor Navigation System for People with Visual Impairments

David Andrews dandrews920 at comcast.net
Thu Oct 16 04:51:41 UTC 2025



Research Participation Request: INVLM-Based 
Indoor Navigation System for People with Visual Impairments



The below research participant solicitation is 
being provided for informational purposes only. 
The National Federation of the Blind has no 
involvement in this research, but we believe that 
it may contribute to our research mission.





Research Title:  InVLM: VLM-Based Indoor 
Navigation System for People with Visual Impairments



Being conducted by: University of Maryland, Baltimore County



Purpose of the Study

This study aims to develop and evaluate an indoor 
navigation system known as InVLM (Vision-Language 
Model-based Indoor Navigation System) for 
individuals with visual impairments. This system 
integrates Multi-Modal Foundation Models with 
real-time object detection and spatial awareness 
technologies to enhance effective navigation in 
dynamic indoor settings. The study aims to 
evaluate the system's effects on navigation 
efficiency, user independence, and safety 
compared to traditional assistive methods.  In 
this research, we propose a novel navigation 
assistance system that integrates macro and 
micro-navigation for goal-based navigation with 
the power of multi-modal foundation models. This 
system can assist BLV individuals in navigating 
dynamic indoor areas. To ensure safe navigation, 
we integrate a real-time open-world object 
detection model, YOLO-World, as an auxiliary 
model alongside a Large Language Model (LLM) for 
more robust obstacle detection and hazard 
assessment. To provide macro navigation, our 
system uses LLM-based floor plan analysis to 
convert layouts into navigable graph 
representations while generating contextual rules 
and trajectories. Our system combines high-level 
route generation with low-level navigation to 
provide more efficient and precise guidance in 
different indoor areas. To increase rerouting 
capabilities for user reorientation, we integrate 
image-based localization through image feature 
matching with the help of Vision Language Models 
(VLMs) to detect each scene in an indoor area. 
Although comprehensive experimental results are 
still pending, preliminary trials demonstrate 
significant improvements in navigation efficiency and user independence.



Role of the Participants and Anticipated Length of the Study

Eligibility Criteria

We are looking for participants who
    * are blind or have low vision,
    * Currently working in creative domains or 
have experience with creative tasks. Creative 
domains may include different forms of art such 
as photography, creative writing (e.g., 
fictions), drawing, fiber arts, music, etc. or 
professions that include creating prototypes or 
design materials, such as interaction design, 
product design, graphics design, user experience 
(UI/UX) research and design, etc.
    * are able to communicate in English,
    * are 18 years old or above



By creative artifacts, we refer to design 
prototypes, tactile arts and crafts, images, 
photographs, drawings, creative writing samples 
(e.g., fiction, but not academic papers at this 
time), and musical compositions. These artifacts 
can be in any medium, as long as they were 
created by the participant as part of their creative practice.



Activities: Short questionnaire, brief training, 
and navigation tasks with a sighted assistant

Each participant will be asked to complete a set 
of 5 to 10 navigation tasks selected from the 
following list. These tasks are designed to 
evaluate wayfinding, navigation, and obstacle 
detection. A description of each task is provided below.

1. Point-to-Point Navigation

A.  Example for this Task: Move from the entrance 
of the space to a designated room (e.g., bedroom, conference room).

  Goal: Evaluate the systems ability to guide 
users through multiple turns or corridors.

we will evaluate different functionalities of our 
system, including scene descriptions, text to speech efficiency to the user



Obstacle Avoidance

Task: Follow a path that includes one or more 
obstacles (e.g., chairs, boxes) and avoid them 
based on verbal guidance. Goal: Evaluate the 
systems hazard detection and redirection capabilities.

Safety: No face camera; safety support provided





Proposed Participant Compensation

Yes, · Compensation:

o   Pre-survey: $15 (10 -15 minutes, BLV participants only)

<https://forms.gle/REBMwfqQf76xSrVE8>https://forms.gle/REBMwfqQf76xSrVE8

You can now fill out the pre-survey, which will 
take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete (BLV participants only).

In-person sessions: $40 per session (30 - 45 
minutes, up to 3 sessions in one day)






Link or Instructions for Participants to Enter the Study

Sign-up form: 
<https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyUrWciWyZjEg62>https://umbc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eyUrWciWyZjEg62 


Consent form : 
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/13K0RjJFEL8sZfJ2wHllpQCA6d0aI3BYd/view?usp=sharing>https://drive.google.com/file/d/13K0RjJFEL8sZfJ2wHllpQCA6d0aI3BYd/view?usp=sharing 




Contact the following individual with any questions

Aydin Ayanzadeh

3013102304

aydina1 at umbc.edu


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