3DOD: A haptic 3D Obstacle Detector for the Blind

Abstract

In this article, we propose a haptic 3D obstacle detector for the blind, which combines an off-the-shelf 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera and a novel 2D tactile display. The system detects objects in up to 7 meters, and renders the spatial layout of obstacles in a non-visual interface, allowing users to choose a route independently to avoid varied obstacles, including hanging obstacles.