SeSaMoNet: An RFID-based economically viable navigation system for the visually impaired

Abstract

In this article, the authors present secure and safe mobility network (SeSaMoNet), a navigation and environment description system for users with visual impairments. The system is designed with attention to usability and accessibility features and for its great scalability. The spread of mobile technology such as handheld devices and related software, personal digital assistants and smartphones, wireless communication, text-to-speech, databases and finally radio frequency identification made it possible for the authors to build a portable, easy to use orientation and navigation aid that still has a great development margin. A double version, Symbian and Windows Mobile, allows quite every type of user equipment to be supported. The system aims to provide a non-intrusive and accessible way to expand the experiences of people with visual impairments and provide them with useful information about the environment beyond the tactile probing of the closest surroundings. This article expands previous work, detailing the usability and accessibility issues the authors faced and the new features introduced in the last period. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.