Function to functional: investigating the fundamental human, environmental, and technological factors affecting the mobility of visually impaired people
File(s)
Author(s)
Feghali, Jean Marc
Type
Thesis
Abstract
A detailed understanding of the mobility of visually impaired people is critical to the advancement of universal design and assistive technology. In turn, this enables visually impaired people to carry out activities of daily living, facilitating societal integration. To date, there exists a significant gap in this, with the consequence of an incomplete understanding of mobility requirements. This thesis addresses this challenge through a mixed-methods approach including in-depth literature review, practical experimentation, and quantitative and qualitative analysis. The novelty, rigour, and impact of this work is presented through a holistic framework of metrics influencing visually impaired mobility, including requirements. This comprises human, environmental, and technological factors expanded through crowd dynamics experimentation with visually impaired people, and a thematic analysis identifying challenges and coping mechanisms in different environments. Aided by subject-matter experts, the requirements are implemented, tested, and validated in a navigation system for visually impaired people. This paves the way for evidence-based policy making, technological development, and the uncompromised autonomy of visually impaired people.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2022-10-28
Date Awarded
01/01/2023
License URL
Advisor
Ochieng, Washington
Majumdar, Arnab
Publisher Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)