The development of electronic sensing devices for the visually impaired
requires knowledge of the needs and abilities of this class of people.
This paper presents a rough analysis that can be used to properly define the
criteria to be adopted for the design of such devices. In particular, attention
will be focused on clear-path indicators, highlighting their role in orientation
and mobility tasks. A new device belonging to this class is presented.
The detector is based on a multisensor strategy and adopts smart signal
processing to provide the user with suitable information about the position of
objects hindering his or her path. Experimental trials demonstrate the
efficiency of the device developed.
