According to the WHO (World Health Organization) there are approximately 285 million people who are visually impaired, of which 39 million are blind and 246 million suffer from reduced vision. Approximately 90% of the worlds visual impairment is concentrated in developing countries.
In Europe, nearly 2 million people are blind and over 11 million are visually impaired. This has led public and private institutions to develop projects and activities to help improve the quality of life of these groups of people.
Technological innovation has been a key factor to this result and Europe who is among the top positions within regions who dedicate resources, time and willingness, in order to enable the natural integration of people with disabilities to perform daily routines that may have a positive impact on their wellbeing.
ARGUS (Personal guidance system for Assisting People with visual impairment) is a guidance system of individual assistance for people with vision problems, one of those complex initiatives that make life easier for many people.
Siemens, CERN, Olmedo Knowledge Systems, The 425 company, Telecom Austria and Vicomtech Consult are the companies that make up the Consortium which develops ARGUS and is funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union.This program is the largest research and cooperation project currently in this area. The goal is to conduct research activities that will strengthen Europe’s scientific and technological base as well as ensure its global leadership in this field. At the same time the program is helping to drive and stimulate the product, service and the innovation and creativity process through the use of the ICT and ensuring that the progress achieved is rapidly transformed into benefits for European citizens, businesses, industry and governments.
ARGUS has been created to develop innovative tools that help the blind and visually impaired move independently in a safe manner. Such tools could also be used by people working in low visibility conditions or with similar risks.
The ARGUS system mainly consist of a portable satellite navigation with audible and tactile interfaces that enable users to acquire a three-dimensional perception of their environment, and provide ongoing support to follow a predefined path in urban, rural or naturesque areas.
ARGUS will act as a "climbers guide ", offering users a virtual rope to secure them, to guide them along the path, based on non-visual interfaces which allows them to build and maintain a mental map of path ahead. The system will allow the download of pre-recorded data on to the device , including routes and points of interest. Once underway, the user only has to follow the continuous acoustic guide and instructions provided by the device.
ARGUS is a more than significant contribution to the constant technological challenge of reducing the limitations caused by disabilities and achieve a society oriented to wellbeing and quality of life.
Opinno collaborates actively in this European project, together with Olmedo Knowledge Systems, providing knowledge, resources and technological know-how to develop and implement the acoustic solutions for user guidance, an essential part of this important international social project...
