Indoor Navigation Systems for Visually Impaired Persons: Mapping the Features of Existing Technologies to User Needs Currently, several outdoor navigation and orientation electronic traveling aid (ETA) solutions for visually impaired (VI) people are commercially available or in active development. This paperxe2x80x99s survey of blind experts has shown that after outdoor navigation, the second most important ETA feature for VI persons is indoor navigation and orientation (in public institutions, supermarkets, office buildings, homes, etc.). VI persons need ETA for orientation and navigation in unfamiliar indoor environments with embedded features for the detection and recognition of obstacles (not only on the ground but also at head level) and desired destinations such as rooms, staircases, and elevators. The development of such indoor navigation systems, which do not have Global Positioning System (GPS) locational references, is challenging and requires an overview and evaluation of existing systems with different navigation technologies. This paper presents an evaluation and comparison of stateoftheart indoor navigation solutions, and the research implications provide a summary of the critical observations, some insights, and directions for further developments. The paper maps VI needs in relation to research and development (Ru0026D) trends using the evaluation criteria deemed most important by blind experts.

Data Model for IndoorGML Extension to Support Indoor Navigation of People with Mobility Disabilities The increasing complexity of modern buildings has challenged the mobility of people with disabilities (PWD) in the indoor environment. To help overcome this problem, this paper proposes a data model that can be easily applied to indoor spatial information services for people with disabilities. In the proposed model, features are defined based on relevant regulations that stipulate significant mobility factors for people with disabilities. To validate the modelxe2x80x99s capability to describe the indoor spaces in terms that are relevant to people with mobility disabilities, the model was used to generate data in a path planning application, considering two different cases in a shopping mall. The application confirmed that routes for people with mobility disabilities are significantly different from those of ordinary pedestrians, in a way that reflects features and attributes defined in the proposed data model. The latter can be inserted as an IndoorGML extension, and is thus expected to facilitate relevant data generation for the design of various services for people with disabilities.