Indoor navigation via camera images of tactile paving

Increasing the freedom of movement of disabled individuals is important for their participation in social life. Nowadays, various studies are carried out for disabled individuals to act independently. One of these studies is about the visually impaired ways prepared for the visually impaired individuals. Visually impaired individuals who use tactile paving can move relatively easily indoors and outdoors with their canes. In this study, to increase the ability of visually impaired individuals to get around indoors, a system that will give the user an audible warning by processing the data received from the camera with image processing techniques is proposed. Based on the signs on the tactile paving, the proposed system determines the tactile junctions, the locations of the ongoing tactile and the locations where the tactile ends. In addition, the system informs the location and direction of the user and directs them through voice notifications with QR codes attached to certain parts of the indoor environment. The related system was tested with the tactile paving located on the ground floor of Beykent University Hadımköy Campus, and 98% positive result was achieved. It was observed that the proposed system could be used by visually impaired individuals for guidance and a new function has been given was given to the tactile paving.