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Technological Advancements in Human Navigation for the Visually Impaired: A Systematic Review.
Edgar Casanova1, Diego Guffanti1, Luis Hidalgo1
1Universidad UTE, Av. Mariscal Sucre, Quito 170129, Ecuador.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2025
Summary
Technological advancements enhance navigation for visually impaired individuals, but accessibility gaps persist. Continued development of adapted systems is crucial for inclusion and equal opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Assistive Technology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Rehabilitation Engineering
Background:
- Visually impaired individuals face significant mobility challenges in complex environments.
- Recent technological progress offers improved navigation solutions for this population.
- Existing support systems often lack digital accessibility and adequate adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a comparative analysis of recent navigation technologies for the visually impaired.
- To evaluate the effectiveness and functionality of these advanced navigation systems.
- To identify gaps and future directions in assistive navigation technology.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review using PRISMA 2020 methodology.
- Selection of 58 articles from Dimensions, Web of Science, and Scopus (2019-2024).
- Bibliometric analysis and review of navigation algorithms and AI applications.
Main Results:
- Significant research interest with high citation rates, indicating growing community engagement.
- Key technologies include advanced sensors (GPS, ultrasonic, Bluetooth), AI (deep learning), and haptic feedback systems.
- Navigation algorithms focus on obstacle detection, path planning, and trajectory prediction for indoor and outdoor environments.
- Experimental validation was present in 79% of reviewed articles, particularly for haptic systems (87%) and smartphone applications (40%).
Conclusions:
- Despite advancements, a notable gap exists in digital accessibility and adapted support systems for the visually impaired.
- Integration of sensors, AI, and haptic feedback shows great promise for improving spatial awareness and navigation.
- Further development of technological and social solutions is essential to enhance autonomy, inclusion, and equal opportunities for people with visual impairments.
- Experimental validation is critical for the successful development of mobility technologies for this demographic.
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