# Indoor-Guided Navigation for People Who Are Blind: Crowdsourcing for Route Mapping and Assistance
## 1 Introduction  
The growing number of people who are BSVI (blind and severely visually impaired) with smartphones, which are multifunctional, multisensory GSM networking devices, has provided the impetus for the development of considerably cheaper electronic traveling assistive (ETA) devices that can employ hardware and software gadgets (defined by the 3 GPP standards collaboration) integrated into smartphones. Smartphones are equipped with a CPU, an operating system, various sensors (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pedometer, and compass) and can run mobile apps for data processing. Mobile computing platforms offer standard APIs for general-purpose computing, providing both application developers and users a level of flexibility that is very conducive to the development and distribution of novel solutions [1, 2]. In addition, smartphones possess real-time GSM connections with the mobile phone network and the internet and facilitate continuous wireless data transfer to external servers and cloud platforms for web-services-based data processing. This considerably enlarges smartphones' general usability and could also be employed for BSVI ETA solutions using social outsourcing, such as remote real-time visual assistance, route mapping, etc. A few of the technologies involved are reviewed in this paper. First, it is important to note that BSVI individuals do not differ remarkably from the visually able population with regard to smartphone use. In fact, due to their condition, BSVI individuals are even more inclined to use handheld smartphones for social communication and mobility (making calls, chatting, using social media and many other apps, including GPS navigation, and so on). The screen reader interface integrated into modern mobile operating systems is accessible enough for people who are BSVI. The number of mobile apps tailored for blind users is also increasing, boosting the use of mobile devices and apps among people who are BSVI, and this usage is expected to continue to grow [3]. Relatively few studies have been conducted on mobile app use among people who are BSVI. In some preliminary studies, participants rated apps as useful (95.4%) and accessible (91.1%) tools for individuals with visual impairment. More than 90% of middle-aged adults strongly agreed that specifically tailored apps were practical. This shows that BSVI individuals frequently use apps that are specifically designed to help them accomplish daily tasks. Furthermore, it was found that the BSVI population is generally satisfied with mobile apps and is ready for improvements and new apps [3]. Thus, among the BSVI community, the multifunctional usage of smartphones for general and specialized tasks is widespread, and there is potential for them to be readily adapted for crowdsourced ETA solutions indoors. Recent advances in computer vision, smartphone devices, and social networking opportunities have motivated the academic community and developers to find novel solutions that combine these evolving technologies to enhance the mobility and general quality of life of people who are BSVI. Unfortunately, this prospective research niche is not well covered in existing research papers. The only reviews we could identify were several that focused on existing mobile applications for the blind [1; 2; 3]. These findings suggest that electronic travel aids, navigation assistance modules, and text-to-speech applications, as well as virtual audio displays, which combine audio with haptic channels, are becoming integrated into standard mobile devices. Increasingly user-friendly interfaces and new modes of interaction have opened a variety of novel possibilities for the BSVI [4; 5]. It is important to note that multifunctional mobile devices are increasingly being employed as interim embedded sensory processing units (exploiting IMU sensors, cameras, etc.) and BSVI user control and interface devices (sound and tactile feedback).