Improved Version of an Integrated Environment for Assisted Movement of Visually Impaired

In this paper an improved version of an integrated environment that improves the mobility of blind persons into a limited area is presented. For the first time, the concept of the audio virtual realty is introduced here, as a manmachine interface between the subject and the wearable equipment that guides the movement. Other improvements are regarding the sensors used to acquire data from the surrounding environment: the 2D visual sensor has been replaced with a newer 3D visual sensor, while other types of sensors have been removed (an infrared sensor and a laser range finder). The obtained results and the further developments are also presented. Key-Words: visually impaired persons, autonomous navigation, supervising system, audio virtual reality, artificial neural network, GPS/GPRS