Computer Vision-based Object Recognition for the Visually Impaired Using Visual Tags

Rabia Jafri, Syed Abid Ali and Hamid R. Arabnia, Proceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Image Processing, Computer Vision, and Pattern Recognition (IPCV ’13), July 22-25, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, pp. 400-406, 2013.

Abstract: Recognizing generic objects in the surrounding environment is a major challenge for the visually impaired for which few assistive technological solutions have been devised to date. Nevertheless, in recent years, several computer vision-based strategies have emerged for this task which utilize visual tags affixed to objects for identification. These approaches are distinguished by their reliance on commercial off-the-shelf components and mobile technologies rendering them cost-effective, portable, intuitive and thus, compelling solutions to an urgent problem. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the state of the art in this area, highlighting the advantages offered by as well as the challenges faced by such systems, and to inspire and facilitate further exploration of this avenue of research.