BUDD-e: an autonomous robotic guide for visually impaired users

Abstract--This paper describes the design and the realization of a prototype of the novel guide robot BUDD-e for visually impaired users. The robot has been tested in a real scenario with the help of visually disabled volunteers at ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, in Milan. The results of the experimental campaign are throughly described in the paper, displaying its remarkable performance and user-acceptance. Index T erms--Assistive technologies, autonomous navigation, autonomous robotics, autonomous guide for visually impaired users. According to [1], in 2020 the number of totally blind people was estimated to about 49.1 million (about 0.6 % of the world population), while people with severe and moderate vision problems were estimated to 33.6 million (about 0.4 % of the world population) and 221.4 million (about 2.8 % of the world population), respectively. Furthermore, due to an aging population, it is estimated that the rate of people affected by vision problems will continue to increase in the coming decades [2]. People with visual impairments currently face a number of issues when it comes to visiting public spaces and using services. It is very difficult for blind and partially sighted persons to access shared places (areas where cars, buses, pedestrians, and cyclists share the same space) alone since important inclusive environmental aids are frequently removed in communal areas. As discussed in [3], navigating inside a shopping mall for a blind or low-vision person can be tiring and stressful. Shopping in groceries is practically impossible and shopping centers often don't have enough staff on duty to offer help. Emanuele Lettieri is with the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Lambruschini 4, Milan, Italy (e-mail: emanuele.lettieri@polimi.it).