Related papers: Touching Space: Accessible Map Exploration Through…
Knowing who is in one's vicinity is key to managing privacy in everyday environments, but is challenging for people with visual impairments. Wearable cameras and other sensors may be able to detect such information, but how should this…
In this paper we explore the opportunities brought by cognitive augmentation to provide a more natural and accessible web browsing experience. We explore these opportunities through \textit{conversational web browsing}, an emerging…
We address the problem of tactile localization, where the goal is to identify image regions that share the same material properties as a tactile input. Existing visuo-tactile methods rely on global alignment and thus fail to capture the…
People with visual impairments face numerous challenges when interacting with their environment. Our objective is to develop a device that facilitates communication between individuals with visual impairments and their surroundings. The…
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a vital resource for investigative journalists doing geolocation verification. However, existing tools to query OSM data such as Overpass Turbo require familiarity with complex query languages, creating barriers for…
Current scene perception tools for Blind and Low Vision (BLV) individuals rely on spoken descriptions but lack engaging representations of visually pleasing distant environmental landscapes (Vista spaces). Our proposed Scene2Audio framework…
We introduce ChartA11y, an app developed to enable accessible 2-D visualizations on smartphones for blind users through a participatory and iterative design process involving 13 sessions with two blind partners. We also present a design…
Searching for objects in unfamiliar scenarios is a challenging task for blind people. It involves specifying the target object, detecting it, and then gathering detailed information according to the user's intent. However, existing…
This paper presents a wearable assistive device with the shape of a pair of eyeglasses that allows visually impaired people to navigate safely and quickly in unfamiliar environment, as well as perceive the complicated environment to…
Text-to-image generative models can be tremendously valuable in supporting creative tasks by providing inspirations and enabling quick exploration of different design ideas. However, one common challenge is that users may still not be able…
Inspired by the human ability to perform complex manipulation in the complete absence of vision (like retrieving an object from a pocket), the robotic manipulation field is motivated to develop new methods for tactile-based object…
Grounding language to a navigating agent's observations can leverage pretrained multimodal foundation models to match perceptions to object or event descriptions. However, previous approaches remain disconnected from environment mapping,…
Three-dimensional (3D) data visualizations, such as surface plots, are vital in STEM fields from biomedical imaging to spectroscopy, yet remain largely inaccessible to blind and low-vision (BLV) people. To address this gap, we conducted an…
Millions of people around the world face motor impairments due to Parkinson's, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other physical disabilities. The goal of this project is to increase the usable surface-area of devices for users with…
We propose DeepExplorer, a simple and lightweight metric-free exploration method for topological mapping of unknown environments. It performs task and motion planning (TAMP) entirely in image feature space. The task planner is a recurrent…
Purpose: Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are becoming a promising transportation solution for blind and low-vision (BLV) travelers, offering the potential for greater independent mobility. This paper explores the information needs of BLV users…
Traditional accessibility methods like alternative text and data tables typically underrepresent data visualization's full potential. Keyboard-based chart navigation has emerged as a potential solution, yet efficient data exploration…
Around-device interaction promises to extend the input space of mobile and wearable devices beyond the common but restricted touchscreen. So far, most around-device interaction approaches rely on instrumenting the device or the environment…
We discuss the process of building semantic maps, how to interactively label entities in them, and how to use them to enable context-aware navigation behaviors in human environments. We utilize planar surfaces, such as walls and tables, and…
In addition to providing information to individual visitors, electronic guidebooks have the potential to facilitate social interaction between visitors and their companions. However, many systems impede visitor interaction. By contrast, our…