Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ANGEO2 (For cognitively-impaired or visually-impaired persons suffering from spatial disorientation, a smartphone-based navigation aid that is both reliable and safe for urban pedestrian mobility.)

Teaser

ANGEO2 is an incremental innovation in the niche market of urban mobility for sufferers of visually-disorientation. Reliable information is the key to reassuring the user and therefore providing autonomous mobility. The need for these devices is getting stronger everyday...

Summary

ANGEO2 is an incremental innovation in the niche market of urban mobility for sufferers of visually-disorientation. Reliable information is the key to reassuring the user and therefore providing autonomous mobility. The need for these devices is getting stronger everyday, however the market for orientation aids has not yet taken off. Why is this? The reason is that the services offered up to now are simply not reliable enough in terms of continuous service availability and accurate guidance. The unique selling proposition of ANGEO2 is the full availability of reliable navigation information in difficult urban environments.

In technical terms, the guidance engine will combine inertial navigation and position, velocity and time information via GPS, GALILEO and GLONASS. The added value of GALILEO will be clearly demonstrated by the project, shown by increased service availability due to that fact that more satellites are visible to the user. The following objectives were achieved:
1. Societal integration for the blind, visually-impaired and persons with a cognitive handicap that require a pedestrian orientation aid complementary of locomotion strategies (cane, dog and street crossings etc.).
2. Developed a reliable, easy to wear, low cost positioning sensor module using EGNOS, GALILEO and MEMS inertial (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors. The module can communicate with iPhone apps.
3. Improved the performance of a personal location algorithm initially developed for ANGEO1 using GNSS raw data.
5. Confirmed with partner the Institut de la Vision in Paris, the adequacy of the concept and user expectations on performance.

In conclusion, the project achieved its objectives, described above. ANGEO2 has a reliable and accurate service thanks to the integration of inertial sensors, GPS, GLONASS and especially GALILEO that provides the extra satellites that are needed for a good depth of coverage in urban areas. The blind and visually impaired persons that use the system appreciate the functions it provides in their daily life.

Work performed

>> The following sub-sections show the achievements per project WP.

WP1 Management: Weekly progress meetings held to access, monitor and manage the project\'s advancement in order to ensure that budget and schedule controlled.
• Purpose: management of the project through regular meetings and action execution
• Achievements: Project achieved within extended schedule
• Deliverables:
o D1.1 Project plan
o D1.2 Final report

WP2 Specifications and architecture:
• Purpose :
o Define user/system/functional requirements and architecture
• Deliverables:
o D2.1 User requirements
o D2.2 Specifications and architecture

WP3 App development:
• Purpose: Development of navigation app for Smartphone
• Achievements:
o Implementation of human-machine interface (HMI)
o Feasibility checked for all functions and interfaces defined in the specifications
• Deliverables:
o D3.1 Software library for external location
o D3.2 Application Smartphone

WP4 Location algorithm
• Purpose: Development of reliable positioning algorithm using:
o Raw data from satellites (GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS)
o MEMS micro-electronic sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer)
o Indoor localization data
• Achievements:
o Reception and treatment of satellites raw data (GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS)
o Recuperation and treatment of sensors data
o Synchronization of satellite and sensor data
o Integration of algorithms for calculating GPS, GALILEO and GLONASS positions form raw data information
o Accurate position data is sent to the smartphone
• Deliverables:
o D4.1 Library of location data sets
o D4.2 Library of location data from field tests

WP5 User devices
• Purpose: Development of a Reliable Positioning Unit (RPU), responsible for calculating user’s position
• Achievements: Completed
o Design of RPU box completed and production of prototype in progress
o Hardware development completed and production of circuit printed board in progress
o Software completed
o The devices work as planned and communicate with the app on the smartphone
• Deliverables:
o D5.1 ANGEO-Pos terminals
o D5.2 ANGEO-Nav app for Smartphone
o D5.3 Navigation server

WP6 Demonstration trials
• Purpose: Factory validation and demonstration trials with visually impaired people
• Achievements: Completed
• Deliverables:
o D6.1 Definition of scenarios and demonstrations
o D6.2 Demonstration report and analysis

WP7 Business models and services
• Purpose: Definition of business model and distribution partners for further commercialisation of the product
• Achievements:
o Analysis of markets in France, Germany and UK
o Preparation of marketing information
o Definition of the business model
• Deliverables:
o D7.1 Business model and services
o D7.2 Draft distribution partner contracts

>> Results, communication and dissemination.
The most prestigious and influential institute for the blind in France was selected and performed the user trials: The Institut de la Vision, in Paris.
Their conclusions are be reproduced here as testimony of the project\'s results, communications and dissemination into the blind community:
/Quote
The user trials test saw 8 visually impaired persons using the ANGEO system: four participants for ANGEO-1 and four participants for ANGEO-S (also known as ANGEO-2). They each had a first session of discovery and getting to know the system, followed by a second session of more exploratory use. In each of these sessions, we were able to observe the usefulness of a guidance system to facilitate the movement of visually impaired people. All the participants were happy to evaluate the proposed position and, in the final questionnaire, 5 of them were satisfied (3 participants) or very satisfied (2 participants) of the system. Nevertheless, when they are asked to detail more specifically their pressure on the various points of the learning and use, efficiency, robustness, etc., the participants are more critical and conside

Final results

\"The progress beyond the state of the art is the use of multi-GNSS constellation raw data to perform hybrid inertial navigation. The use of GALILEO ensures the high level of availability that is required to guide persons through urban areas.

The Institut de la Vision in Paris has stated that the system provides societal impact:
\"\"In each of these sessions, we were able to observe the usefulness of a guidance system to facilitate the movement of visually impaired people. All the participants were happy to evaluate the proposed position and, in the final questionnaire, 5 of them were satisfied (3 participants) or very satisfied (2 participants) of the system\"\".\"

Website & more info

More info: http://www.angeo.fr.