On-Demand Barrier-Free Street View System Using Sensor Information from General-Purpose Wheelchair Users

There are many obstacles for wheelchair users outside. These items are not an issue for people without physical impairment, but are major obstacles for wheelchair users. Due to these obstacles, wheelchair users may feel anxiety besides familiar paths, leading to less desire to go outside. In this study, we propose a system for collecting social barrier-free information from the various sensors attached to general-purpose wheelchairs and constantly feeding back the latest barrier-free street view information to wheelchair users, that is to say an “on-demand barrier-free street view system.” With this system, wheelchair users can confirm safe routes using the street view; thus, their range of movement can be increased. Furthermore, shared road information is information that was gathered by wheelchair users; therefore, it is a verification that the path is actually passable with a wheelchair. It provides a feeling of security for wheelchair users to go out. In this paper, we show the results of an evaluation experiment using this system.