Accessible Traffic Signals for Blind and Visually Impaired Pedestrians
http://www.cts.umn.edu/Research/ProjectDetail.html?id=2010047
Record Type: UTC
Blind and visually impaired pedestrians often travel in areas that are unfamiliar to them and cross at signalized intersections. Locating the sidewalk and the pushbutton of a desired crossing direction are among the most difficult tasks for blind pedestrians to cross a street. The chirping sound and audible messages from traditional Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) systems are often confused with other noises in the vicinity of an intersection. The goal of this project is to provide effective traffic signal information and guidance while crossing the intersection to blind and visually impaired pedestrians. We propose to investigate and develop an APS system by using the Global Positioning System (GPS), Text to Speech (TTS) and cell phone technologies. We aim to take advantage of several components from previous research studies and investigate the feasibility of integrating these technologies in order to develop a reliable and effective methodology for determining the location of a blind cell phone user on the street with respect to an intersection. Intersection information and signal states (for example, the "walk" or "don't walk" message) can then be broadcast to blind cell phone users wirelessly from the signal controller. The traffic information can then be translated into audible messages using commercially available TTS technology. Our approach will provide options to allow blind and visually impaired pedestrians to subscribe to and receive personal assistive traffic signal information while waiting to cross and while crossing an intersection.
Start date: 2009/11/1
End date: 2010/10/30
Status: Active
Secondary Number: CTS-2010052
Total Dollars: 81000
Source Organization: Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute
Date Added: 11/24/2009
Index Terms: Pedestrian safety, Blind persons, Visually impaired persons, Signalized intersections, Audible pedestrian signals, Traffic information, Research projects,
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Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute
http://www.its.umn.edu
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
200 Transportation and Safety Building
511 Washington Avenue, S.W.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
USA
Phone: (612) 625-2304
Fax: (612) 626-1077
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Miller, Christina
Email: mill4953@umn.edu
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University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Center for Transportation Studies
200 Transportation Building
511 Washington Avenue, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Liao, Chen-Fu
Email: cliao@umn.edu
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