ADL Training for the Visually Impaired Based on a Robot equipped with a Parametric Speaker

Abstract

This report proposes a network-based robot that can perform the interactive ADL training for the visually impaired. The robot has a pan-tilt head equipped with a camera, a microphone and a parametric speaker that can generate ultrasonic sounds. The ultrasonic sounds are converted to audible sounds on object surfaces. The visually impaired can hear the sounds as if they are generated by the objects. By use of this mechanism, the robot can tell the visually impaired the object positions. This robot system can be applied to the ADL training where visually impaired individuals learn to use various objects arranged in living environments. In this report, the experimental results of user study are shown.