“Personal Radar”: A Self-governed Support System to Enhance Environmental Perception

In this work we propose a wearable solution for boundary detection (using ultrasonic range finders) and notification (via tactile actuators) under conditions of poor visibility. “Personal Radar” is not ‘yet another’ belt-like tactile feedback system used for walking navigation, the unique feature of our obstacle scanning and notification solution is, that it is self-contained and fully self-governed. User studies have confirmed that using “Personal Radar” can increase safety in close proximity to unseen obstacles by reducing the movement speed in that region. To compensate for this speed reduction, studies demonstrated a speed up in walking pace in regions distant to obstacles as compared to subjects moving sightlessly and without technology assistance. Finally, evaluation revealed that learning increases utilization performance of the system significantly.