Tactile Paving Detection by Dynamic Thresholding Based on HSV Space Analysis for Developing a Walking Support System

Abstract

In this research, we present a system that enables independent walking in individuals with visual impairment by recognizing tactile paving. The system warns the user about dangers posed by deviations from the walking path or possible collisions. Therefore, the tactile paving itself and obstacles on it must be detected. This paper discusses problems related to detecting tactile paving. To address these problems, a new camera-based method is introduced, which detects tactile paving automatically. The method relies on a dynamic threshold approach in the HSV color space, making the image processing more robust against varying lighting conditions, environments, and differences in color. Such an approach is not possible using the methods based on fixed thresholds reported in the literature. The results of our experiments confirm that high rates of tactile paving detection were achieved under various conditions.