We are a group of researchers working on some technological solutions for the blind and low vision to negotiate surface discontinuity typically present at urban areas, and most predominantly found in low to middle income countries.
According to World Health Organization, there is an estimated 285 million Blind and Low Vision (BLV) people worldwide. Apart from difficulties in accessing visual information, one of the greatest challenges to independence for the BLVs is difficulties in self-navigation. To achieve safe and effective navigation, the BLVs need to access global information relevant to orientation and positioning on one hand, and deal with local threats along their pathway on the other hand.
Through surveys with several Malaysian NGOs representing the BLVs at an early stage of the research found that negotiation of surface discontinuities is one of the crucial challenges to independent navigation. Figure above illustrates some examples of surface discontinuities. Surface discontinuities are inclusive of rises and drop-offs. Some surface discontinuities such as staircases, small steps, joint between walkways and curbs are needed for the continuity of the navigation; although some of them might be hazardous due to unregulated circumstances, for examples uneven steps with no handrail, uneven heights of rises along a stairway, an uncovered drainage and a sudden drop-off at a supposedly flat surface.
This website documented some surface discontinuities found at several urban areas within Malaysia.
The main researcher can be contacted at leong.kuan.yew@monash.edu.
Surface Discontinuity Dataset 