2001 Conference Proceedings
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`PEDESTRIAN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS FOR
`VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS
`Teruyuki TAJIMA, Kazumasa YACHI, Toshinaga AOTANI,
`Universal Traffic Management Society of Japan
`Kunio KURACHI, Hirohiko OHKUBO
`Mitsubishi Precision Company
`345 Kamimachiya, Kamakura, Japan 247-8505
`E-mail: ohkubohr@mpcnet.co.jp
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Pedestrian Information and Communication Systems (PICS) have been under development for the purposes
`to provide the elderly and disabled persons with the appropriate information for safety, easy, convenient and
`comfortable travels in a timely manner and consequently improve their quality of daily lives.
`Infrared beacons (Ir Station) installed around the intersection to provide visually impaired persons with voice
`information (PICS-A) and other disabled persons with text and imagery information (PICS-B). Field tests of
`these two prototype systems have been conducted for three times to verify their effectiveness and operability.
`Most of participants evaluated that these systems work very effectively. Test results of PICS-A field test are
`reported herein.
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`INTRODUCTION
`We have been developing Pedestrian Information and Communication Systems (PICS) for the purposes to
`provide the elderly and disabled persons with the appropriate information in a timely manner and support
`their safety, easy, convenient and comfortable travels. This consequently improves their quality of daily lives.
`In 1998 statistics, about 28% of pedestrian traffic accidents resulted death. The ratio of elderly person in the
`total death accidents occupies 34% and more than half of disabled person is elderly. The population of elderly
`person in Japan is increasing rapidly. Foreseeable elderly society it is indispensable to consolidate desirable
`pedestrian's environment enabling elderly and disabled persons to expand their mobility with safety, easy,
`convenient and comfortable ways, and consequently enabling them to join in normal social community.
`Based on research and study about information services required by the elderly and disabled persons,
`prototypes of voice information services system (PICS-A) for visually impaired persons and imagery
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`information services system (PICS-B) for locomotory impaired, hearing impaired and elderly persons have
`been developed. The first field test was conducted on the PICS-A at the intersection near JR Shinyokohama
`station in November 1998. The second field test was conducted on the PICS-B near JR Yokohama station in
`June 1999.
`Based on the results of these field tests these systems have been improved to much higher level of the
`completion. The third field test was conducted on both PICS-A and PICS-B in February 2000 at near JR
`Isogo station in Yokohama City to evaluate and verify effectiveness of these systems.
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`INFORMATION SERVICES REQUIRED
`Group interviews have been conducted to check what kinds of information services are required by visually
`impaired, locomotory impaired, hearing impaired and elderly persons during their travels. Interviews are set
`in three phases like "before departure", "on the way" and "at the destination" and ask necessary information
`required at each phases. As the results, especially at intersection, such information services as follows are
`required for visually impaired people to support their safety, easy, convenient and comfortable travels.
`What is the direction to the intersection?
`Where is the intersection?
`What is the direction to cross the pedestrian crossing?
`When is the timing to start walking out to across the crosswalk?
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`CONFIGURATION AND FIELD TESTS
`From experiences to use infrared beacon in VICS for vehicle communication we applied infrared beacon (Ir
`Station) as the media to provide information to handy terminal. Infrared communication has merits of secured
`communication in the designated area because of its sharpdirectivity.
`(1) First field test
`The first field test was conducted on PICS-A. System configuration is shown in Figure-1. PICS-A transmits
`local information such as the name of intersection, walking direction, status of pedestrian signal lights from
`the Ir Station installed near the pedestrian signal lights.
`Visually impaired persons scan their handy terminal toward the intersection and catch the voice message
`informing the name of intersection and direction for walking. They can reach to the intersection if they walk
`toward the direction where they get the clearest voice message. They can know the status of pedestrian signal
`lights scanning their handy terminals at the intersection. They can get the direction to cross the intersection
`before they start and know the timing to start walking.
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`Figure-1 Systen Configuration
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`The first field test on the PICS-A was conducted to have 27(male 16, female 11) participants in total. This
`system is evaluated by these participants as "feel easy at the intersection" for visually impaired persons and
`verified as an effective and usable.
`Test scene is shown in Figure-2
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`Figure-2 Test Scene-1
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`As further improvement it is required to:
`select words carefully for providing much easier voice message.
`contrive the location and method to install Ir Station because the voice message disappears just before
`crossing over the crosswalk since the Ir Station is installed higher position.
`make the handy terminal much smaller and lighter.
`(2) Second field test
`The second field test was conducted on PICS-B.
`(3) Third field test Based on the results of the first and second filed test both PICS-A and PICS-B systems
`have been improved to reflect them. Ir Stations for both PICS-A and PICS-B were installed more expanded
`area to set up test environments closer to the actual operation. For PICS-A, 23 visually impaired participants
`(male 12, female 11) joined the third field test conducted near JR Isogo station, Yokohama City during
`February 2000 to evaluate and verify effectiveness of the systems.
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`Test scene is shown in Figure-3.
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`Figure-3 Test Scene-2
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`PICS-A has been improved to reflect the results of the first field test, "select words carefully for providing
`much easier voice message" and "provide information till the both end of crosswalk continuously".
`Stand alone Ir Station is installed to provide each of additional information services such as trains' departure
`and arrival information in the hour gearing time table and clock, location of entrance/exit and fare machines
`inside of the railway station and elevator, bus stop, bank office, Koban and entrances of supermarket store
`nearby the railway station. Participants travel along with voice information provided by Ir Stations installed
`at each point through their handy terminals.
`Questionnaire and hearing survey are conducted to participants during and after the test. The results of
`questionnaire and hearing conducted to participants in the third field test are shown in Table-1. It is believed
`that good evaluation was obtained through field tests conducted for three times to verify system functions,
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`characteristics and effectiveness of pedestrian information services.
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`Table-1 PICS-A Test Results
`
`Questionaire
`
`Information at
`intersection
`
`
`
`
`
`Responses
`
`Very Good
`(100%)
`
`Very Good
`(100%)
`
`
`
`
`
`Timing to start walking
`
`Status of signal lights
`
`
`
`
`
`Easy to find directions
`
`Very easy
`(82.6%)
`
`Easy
`(8.7%)
`
`Good
`(8.7%)
`
` Environments
`information
`
` Information in
`railway station
`
` Appropriate
`(95.7%)
`
` Better
`(4.3%)
`
`
`
`
`
` Information about
`elevator
`
` Appropriate
`(100%)
`
` Information about
`super-market
`
` Appropriate
`(100%)
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
` Operation
`
` Easy to handle
`
` Best
`(69.6%)
`
` Better
`(21.7%)
`
` Good
`(8.7%)
`
` Do you feel easy to
`walk in town?
`
`
`
` Very easy
`(95.7%)
`
` Easy
`(4.3%)
`
`
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`CONCLUSION
`Most of participants evaluated that PICS-A system works very effectively.
`It is highly expected that the system become popular in near future.
`To make the system popular for all, it is important to set up the standardization.
`For the future ITS, providing the convenience to pedestrians will be essential as well as providing solution to
`vehicle traffic problem.
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`ACKNOWLEDGMENT
`It is appreciated for kind cooperation and assistance that a lot of precious opinions and suggestions are given
`by Professor Tauchi, Okayama Prefectural University, Yokohama Rehabilitation Center, National Police
`Agency of Japan, Kanagawa Prefectural Police Headquarter and participants to these tests.
`REFERENCES
`Reference documents:
`[1] National Police Agency, Traffic Bureau: "Traffic Statistics, 1998"
`[2] Secretary of Ministry of Health and Welfare, Physical Insurance Policy Welfare Div.: Report on the real
`situation of disabled person (child) (Survey on November 1, 1996)
`
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`Reprinted with author(s) permission. Author(s) retain copyright.
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