Showing papers on "Turn-by-turn navigation published in 2015"

Last-Mile Navigation Using Smartphones

Abstract: Although GPS has become a standard component of smartphones, providing accurate navigation during the last portion of a trip remains an important but unsolved problem. Despite extensive research on localization, the limited resolution of a map imposes restrictions on the navigation engine in both indoor and outdoor environments. To bridge the gap between the end position obtained from legacy navigation services and the real destination, we propose FollowMe, a "last-mile" navigation system to enable plug-and-play navigation in indoor and semi-outdoor environments. FollowMe exploits the ubiquitous, stable geomagnetic field and natural walking patterns to navigate the users to the same destination taken by an earlier traveler. Unlike existing localization and navigation systems, FollowMe is infrastructure-free, energy-efficient and cost-saving. We implemented FollowMe on smartphones, and evaluated it in a four-story campus building with a testing area of 2000m2. Our experimental results with 5 users show that 95% of spatial errors during navigation were 2m or less with at least 50% energy savings over a benchmark system.

Unmanned aerial vehicle navigation assistance

Abstract: In an approach to providing navigation assistance, one or more computer processors receive a request for navigation assistance to a destination from a first user. The one or more computer processors dispatch a navigation assistance UAV to the first user. The one or more computer processors determine a route for the first user to follow to the destination. The one or more computer processors provide navigation assistance for the route to the first user using the navigation assistance UAV.

GazeNav: Gaze-Based Pedestrian Navigation

Abstract: Pedestrian navigation systems help us make a series of decisions that lead us to a destination. Most current pedestrian navigation systems communicate using map-based turn-by-turn instructions. This interaction mode suffers from ambiguity, its user's ability to match the instruction with the environment, and it requires a redirection of visual attention from the environment to the screen. In this paper we present GazeNav, a novel gaze-based approach for pedestrian navigation. GazeNav communicates the route to take based on the user's gaze at a decision point. We evaluate GazeNav against the map-based turn-by-turn instructions. Based on an experiment conducted in a virtual environment with 32 participants we found a significantly improved user experience of GazeNav, compared to map-based instructions, and showed the effectiveness of GazeNav as well as evidence for better local spatial learning. We provide a complete comparison of navigation efficiency and effectiveness between the two approaches.

Navigation made personal: inferring driving preferences from GPS traces

Abstract: All current navigation systems return efficient source-to-destination routes assuming a "one-size-fits-all" set of objectives, without addressing most personal preferences. Although they allow some customization (like "avoid highways" or "avoid tolls"), the choices are very limited and require some sophistication on the part of the user. In this paper we present, implement, and test a framework that generates personalized driving directions by automatically analyzing users' GPS traces. Our approach learns cost functions using coordinate descent, leveraging a state-of-the-art route planning engine for efficiency. In an extensive experimental study, we show that this framework infers user-specific driving preferences, significantly improving the route quality. Our approach can handle continental-sized inputs (with tens of millions of vertices and arcs) and is efficient enough to be run on an autonomous device (such as a car navigation system) preserving user privacy.

LazyNav: 3D ground navigation with non-critical body parts

Abstract: With the growing interest in natural input devices and virtual reality, mid-air ground navigation is becoming a fundamental interaction for a large collection of application scenarios. While classical input devices (e.g., mouse/keyboard, gamepad, touchscreen) have their own ground navigation standards, natural input techniques still lack acknowledged mechanisms for travelling in a 3D scene. In particular, for most applications, navigation is not the primary interaction. Thus, the user should navigate in the scene while still being able to perform other interactions with her hands, and observe the displayed content by moving her eyes and locally rotating her head. Since most ground navigation scenarios require only two degrees of freedom to move forward or backward and rotate the view to the left or to the right, we propose LazyNav a mid-air ground navigation control model which lets the users hands, eyes or local head orientation completely free, making use of a single pair of the remaining tracked body elements to tailor the navigation. To this end, we design several navigation body motions and study their desired properties, such as being easy to discover, easy to control, socially acceptable, accurate and not tiring. We also develop several assumptions about motions design for ground navigation and evaluate them. Finally, we highlight general advices on mid-air ground navigation techniques.

Computer vision and GIS for the navigation of blind persons in buildings

Abstract: This paper presents a system which integrates a geographic information system of a building with computer vision. It uses only one camera, for example, the one of a mobile phone. Visual landmarks, such as frontal and lateral doors, stairs, signs, and fire extinguishers, are employed for localizing the user in the building and for tracing and validating a route for the user's navigation. The developed system clearly improves the autonomy of persons with a very low vision during indoor navigation.

Navigating through digital folders uses the same brain structures as real world navigation

Abstract: Efficient storage and retrieval of digital data is the focus of much commercial and academic attention. With personal computers, there are two main ways to retrieve files: hierarchical navigation and query-based search. In navigation, users move down their virtual folder hierarchy until they reach the folder in which the target item is stored. When searching, users first generate a query specifying some property of the target file (e.g., a word it contains), and then select the relevant file when the search engine returns a set of results. Despite advances in search technology, users prefer retrieving files using virtual folder navigation, rather than the more flexible query-based search. Using fMRI we provide an explanation for this phenomenon by demonstrating that folder navigation results in activation of the posterior limbic (including the retrosplenial cortex) and parahippocampal regions similar to that previously observed during real-world navigation in both animals and humans. In contrast, search activates the left inferior frontal gyrus, commonly observed in linguistic processing. We suggest that the preference for navigation may be due to the triggering of automatic object finding routines and lower dependence on linguistic processing. We conclude with suggestions for future computer systems design.

An efficient indoor navigation technique to find optimal route for blinds using QR codes

Abstract: Blind navigation is an accessibility application that enables blind to use an android Smartphone in an easy way for indoor navigation with instructions in audio form. We have proposed a prototype which is an indoor navigation application for blinds that uses QR codes. It is developed for android Smart phones and does not require any additional hardware for navigation. It provides automatic navigational assistance on pre-defined paths for blind. QR codes are placed on the floor sections after specific distance that acts as an input for current location detection and navigation. Whenever a QR code is scanned it provides the user with the information of the current location and asks the user to select the destination and then offers optimal and shortest path using path finding algorithms. During navigation whenever the deviation from the proposed path is detected it prompts the user and guides back to the right path by comparing the current path with the generated path. All of the instructions throughout the application are provided in audio form to the user. The interface of the application is well built for blinds which makes the smart phones user-friendly and useable for blind people. The user interacts with the application through a specific set of user-friendly gestures for specific inputs and operations. At the end, we have performed comparison between different state of art approaches and concluded that our approach is more user friendly, cost effective and produced more accurate results.

Integrating online navigation data with cached navigation data during active navigation

Abstract: When a portable device cannot connect to a network, offline navigation directions are generated and displayed by obtaining navigation instructions stored on the portable device which direct a user from a first location to a second location. When a network connection later becomes available, the portable device obtains online navigation directions from the first location to the second location from a navigation server. The portable device updates the offline navigation directions in a least disruptive manner, with information from the online navigation directions by determining the difference between the online and the offline navigation directions. If the online and offline navigation directions are similar, the portable device updates the display with estimated time data, traffic data, etc., from the online navigation directions. On the other hand, if there is a significant difference between the online and offline navigation directions, the portable device displays the online navigation directions as an alternative route.

Reference frames in learning from maps and navigation

Abstract: In everyday life, navigators often consult a map before they navigate to a destination (e.g., a hotel, a room, etc.). However, not much is known about how humans gain spatial knowledge from seeing a map and direct navigation together. In the present experiments, participants learned a simple multiple corridor space either from a map only, only from walking through the virtual environment, first from the map and then from navigation, or first from navigation and then from the map. Afterwards, they conducted a pointing task from multiple body orientations to infer the underlying reference frames. We constructed the learning experiences in a way such that map-only learning and navigation-only learning triggered spatial memory organized along different reference frame orientations. When learning from maps before and during navigation, participants employed a map- rather than a navigation-based reference frame in the subsequent pointing task. Consequently, maps caused the employment of a map-oriented reference frame found in memory for highly familiar urban environments ruling out explanations from environmental structure or north preference. When learning from navigation first and then from the map, the pattern of results reversed and participants employed a navigation-based reference frame. The priority of learning order suggests that despite considerable difference between map and navigation learning participants did not use the more salient or in general more useful information, but relied on the reference frame established first.

Experiences with eNav: a low-power vehicular navigation system

Abstract: This paper presents experiences with eNav, a smartphone-based vehicular GPS navigation system that has an energy-saving location sensing mode capable of drastically reducing navigation energy needs. Traditional navigation systems sample the phone's GPS at a fixed rate (usually around 1Hz), regardless of factors such as current vehicle speed and distance from the next navigation waypoint. This practice results in a large energy consumption and unnecessarily reduces the attainable length of a navigation session, if the phone is left unplugged. The paper investigates two questions. First, would drivers be willing to sacrifice some of the affordances of modern navigation systems in order to prolong battery life? Second, how much energy could be saved using straightforward alternative localization mechanisms, applied to complement GPS for vehicular navigation? According to a survey we conducted of 500 drivers, as much as 91% of drivers said they would like to have a vehicular navigation application with an energy saving mode. To meet this need, eNav exploits on-board accelerometers for approximate location sensing when the vehicle is sufficiently far from the next navigation waypoint (or is stopped). A user test-study of eNav shows that it results in roughly the same user experience as standard GPS navigation systems, while reducing navigation energy consumption by almost 80%. We conclude that drivers find an energy-saving mode on phone-based vehicular navigation applications desirable, even at the expense of some loss of functionality, and that significant savings can be achieved using straightforward location sensing mechanisms that avoid frequent GPS sampling.

Predictive server-side rendering of scenes

Abstract: A server device and method are provided for use in predictive server-side rendering of scenes based on client-side user input. The server device may include a processor and a storage device holding instructions for an application program executable by the processor to receive, at the application program, a current navigation input in a stream of navigation inputs from a client device over a network, calculate a predicted future navigation input based on the current navigation input and a current application state of the application program, render a future scene based on the predicted future navigation input to a rendering surface, and send the rendering surface to the client device over the network.

Where did it come from, where do you go? Direction sources influence navigation decisions during spatial uncertainty

Abstract: Previous research on route directions largely considers the case when a knowledgeable route-giver conveys accurate information. In the real world, however, route information is sometimes inaccurate, and directions can lead navigators astray. We explored how participants respond to route directions containing ambiguities between landmarks and turn directions, forcing reliance on one or the other. In three experiments, participants read route directions (e.g., To get to the metro station, take a right at the pharmacy) and then selected from destinations on a map. Critically, in half of the trials the landmark (pharmacy) and turn (right) directions were conflicting, such that the participant had to make a decision under conditions of uncertainty; under these conditions, we measured whether participants preferentially relied upon landmark- versus direction-based strategies. Across the three experiments, participants were either provided no information regarding the source of directions (Experiment 1), or told that the source of directions was a GPS device (Experiment 2), or a human (Experiment 3). Without information regarding the source of directions, participants generally relied on landmarks or turn information under conditions of ambiguity; in contrast, with a GPS source participants relied primarily on turn information, and with a human source on landmark information. Results were robust across gender and individual differences in spatial preference. We discuss these results within the context of spatial decision-making theory and consider implications for the design and development of landmark-inclusive navigation systems.

Co-Navigator: an advanced navigation system for front-seat passengers

Abstract: In-car navigation systems typically have the purpose to support the driver in a navigation task. While the field of automotive HCI research abounds in driver-focused navigation design relatively little attention has been directed to the front-seat passengers as a support to the driver for e.g., navigation. Based on our ethnographic research, we have designed and prototyped a system called Co-Navigator. It was devised to be operated by the front-seat passenger, in order to support the driver in navigation and driving related tasks. The Co-Navigator is an interactive, tablet based navigation app that provides different kinds of information such as landmarks and upcoming hazard warnings (e.g., construction sites or potholes). In this paper, we describe the prototype, its elements, and an explorative in-situ evaluation. Results show that the Co-Navigator is a valuable in-car navigation device for the front-seat passenger. Especially the map overview and hazard warnings were appreciated.

Vehicle control based on crowdsourcing data

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to a method for controlling a vehicle based on crowdsourcing data. According to the method, the vehicle transmits a route request to a server, receive navigation information in response to the route request, controls an operation of the vehicle based on the transmitted navigation information, collects vehicle driving data, during driving according to the transmitted navigation information, transmits the collected data to the server, receives generated crowdsourcing data, updates the transmitted navigation information based on the received crowdsourcing data, and controls the operation of the vehicle based on the updated navigation information.

System and method for making engagement offers based on observed navigation path

Abstract: A system and method for making engagement offers. A processor monitors a navigation path of a user navigating a website. The processor makes an offer for engagement with the user on a first web page reached by the user upon following the navigation path. The processor monitors a reaction of the user to the offer for engagement, and updates tag data associated with a second web page encountered by the user while traversing the navigation path. The tag data is updated based on the reaction of the user to the offer for engagement.

Navigation lane guidance

Abstract: A navigation system provides lane guidance for a navigation route. The navigation route specifies actions for a user to navigate a route from an originating point to a destination along a set of road segments. The lane guidance at a position along the navigation route scores the lanes and provides the lane scoring for the user. To score the lanes, the navigation system determines a lane distance for each lane indicating how far along the navigation route a user may continue to use this lane, without shifting to another lane. The lane distance may be measured up to a look-ahead distance. The lane distance includes distance along subsequent road segments of the route, such that when a lane turns onto a lane on another road segment according to the navigation route, the distance along the other road may be included in the lane distance.

Method and apparatus for adapting navigation notifications based on compliance information

Abstract: An approach is provided for adapting navigation notifications based on a level of compliance of users to the notifications. An adaptation platform determines user action data following a presentation of at least one navigation notification at at least one device. The adaptation platform also processes the user action data to determine user compliance information with the at least one navigation notification. One or more presentation parameters for the presentation of the at least one navigation notification, content information for the at least one navigation information, or a combination thereof are then caused to be adapted based, at least in part, on the compliance information.

Audio video navigation device, vehicle and method for controlling the audio video navigation device

Abstract: An Audio Video Navigation (AVN) device includes a voice receiver for receiving a command from a user in a voice recognition mode; a storage for storing Help; and a controller for providing the Help for the user if the number of times a same pattern has occurred is equal to or greater than a threshold in the voice recognition mode.

Proactive machine learning in a vehicular environment

Abstract: Methods and systems for an improved navigation environment are provided. The navigation system can route users to preferred locations based on user profile data and past experience with the present driver and other drivers. The system provides more cost-effective and time-sensitive routing by incorporating other information about destinations. Further, the navigation system provides enhanced guidance in foreign or unfamiliar locations by incorporating experience from other drivers and other data.

Detecting of navigation data spoofing based on image data

Abstract: Techniques for determining whether data associated with an autonomous navigation of an unmanned vehicle may be trusted. For example, navigation-related data may be provided from a source external to the unmanned vehicle. Image data associated with the autonomous navigation may be generated. The navigation-related data and the image data may be compared to determine whether the navigation data may be trusted or not. If untrusted, the autonomous navigation may be directed independently of the navigation data.

Remote visualization and navigation of 3d models of archeological sites

Abstract: . The remote visualization and navigation of 3D data directly inside the web browser is becoming a viable option, due to the recent efforts in standardizing the components for 3D rendering on the web platform. Nevertheless, handling complex models may be a challenge, especially when a more generic solution is needed to handle different cases. In particular, archeological and architectural models are usually hard to handle, since their navigation can be managed in several ways, and a completely free navigation may be misleading and not realistic. In this paper we present a solution for the remote navigation of these dataset in a WebGL component. The navigation has two possible modes: the ”bird’s eye” mode, where the user is able to see the model from above, and the ”first person” mode, where the user can move inside the structure. The two modalities are linked by a point of interest, that helps the user to control the navigation in an intuitive fashion. Since the terrain may not be flat, and the architecture may be complex, it’s necessary to handle these issues, possibly without implementing complex mesh-based collision mechanisms. Hence, a complete navigation is obtained by storing the height and collision information in an image, which provides a very simple source of data. Moreover, the same image-based approach can be used to store additional information that could enhance the navigation experience. The method has been tested in two complex test cases, showing that a simple yet powerful interaction can be obtained with limited pre-processing of data.

User adaptive interfaces

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user adaptive natural language interface are disclosed The disclosed embodiments may receive and analyze user input to derive current user behavior data, including data indicative of characteristics of the user input The user input is classified based on prior user behavior data previously logged during one or more previous user-system interactions and the current user behavior data to generate a classification of the user input Machine learning algorithms can be employed to classify the user input User adaptive utterances are selected based on the user input and the classification of the user input The user-system interaction is logged for use as prior user behavior data in future user-system interactions A response to the user input is generated, including synthesizing output speech from the user adaptive utterances selected Example applications of the disclosed systems and methods provide user adaptive navigation directions in navigation systems

Technologies for route navigation sharing in a community cloud

Abstract: Technologies for sharing route navigation data in a community cloud include a mobile navigation device of a vehicle and a remote mobile navigation device of a remote vehicle. The mobile navigation device generates sensor data associated with a current route of the vehicle and determines whether a reference traffic event occurs within a segment of the current route of the vehicle. In response to a determination that a reference traffic event occurs, the mobile navigation devices transmits route update data to the remote mobile navigation device. Based on the route update data, the remote mobile navigation device updates a current route of the remote vehicle to avoid the reference traffic event within a corresponding segment of the current route of the remote vehicle. The mobile navigation device may also transmit the sensor data to a community compute device, which may transmit route update data to the remote mobile navigation device.

The Role of Structural Information for Designing Navigational User Interfaces

Abstract: Today, a variety of user interfaces exists for navigating information spaces, including, for example, tag clouds, breadcrumbs, subcategories and others. However, such navigational user interfaces are only useful to the extent that they expose the underlying topology---or network structure---of the information space. Yet, little is known about which topological clues should be integrated in navigational user interfaces. In detail, the aim of this paper is to identify what kind of and how much topological information needs to be included in user interfaces to facilitate efficient navigation. We model navigation as a variation of a decentralized search process with partial information and study its sensitivity to the quality and amount of the structural information used for navigation. We experiment with two strategies for node selection (quality of structural information provided to the user) and different amount of information (amount of structural information provided to the user). Our experiments on four datasets from different domains show that efficient navigation depends on the kind of structural information utilized. Additionally, node properties differ in their quality for augmenting navigation and intelligent pre-selection of which nodes to present in the interface to the user can improve navigational efficiency. This suggests that only a limited amount of high quality structural information needs to be exposed through the navigational user interface.

Voice Recognition and Voice Navigation for Blind using GPS

Abstract: 2,3 Abstract: In this paper we have presented the design of the voice based navigation system for blind using voice recognition module and GPS module implemented on arduino board. This system helps the blind person to navigate. The blind person will give the destination's name as the input to voice recognition module. GPS module continously receives the latitude and longitude of the current location . GPS compares it with the destination's latitude and longitude. The blind person receives the pronounced directions which he needs to follow to reach his destination.

User geographic area familiarity based navigation instructions

Abstract: A familiarity that a user of a navigation device has with each of multiple geographic areas is determined. A route to a destination is identified and navigation instructions are provided to the user as he or she travels along the route. The instructions provided to the user along the route are generated based on the familiarity of the user with one or more geographic areas along the route. This generation of instructions can include delaying the start of providing instructions to the user, adapting the level of guidance provided to the user, adapting the aggressiveness of route recalculation, combinations thereof, and so forth.

Mobile navigation system operating with a remote server

Abstract: A client navigation system establishes a wireless connection to a navigation server on a computer network. The client requests a route by uploading start and destination specifications. The server calculates an optimal route based on real-time data available on the network. A generic natural language description is used to specify the optimal route downloaded to the client. The natural language description is a plain text description for each link using pre-defined generic terms. The client interprets the route, interfaces with the local mapping data and reconstructs the optimal route. The route is subsequently displayed and highlighted on the client.

Safety in pedestrian navigation: road crossing habits and route quality needs

Abstract: Still most commercial navigation tools used by pedestrians fail to encompass a comprehensive organization and prioritization of safety-related route qualities and accordant information in the user interface. To support pedestrian route choices to minimize potential dangers, we study in this paper user requirements for an enhanced pedestrian navigation system that considers safety related route quality parameters. Besides effectiveness, related factors of distance and time, safety was highly prioritized to become an explicit requirement for the conceptual design. The acquired data from an online survey provides the basis for pedestrian's classifications and requirements regarding user friendly interfaces for mobile routing and navigation that enhance road safety.

Sensor-based navigation applied to intelligent electric vehicles

Abstract: Autonomous navigation of car-like robots is a large domain with several techniques and applications working in cooperation. It ranges from low-level control to global navigation, passing by environment perception, robot localization, and many others in asensor-based approach. Although there are very advanced works, they still presenting problems and limitations related to the environment where the car is inserted and the sensors used. This work addresses the navigation problem of car-like robots based on low cost sensors in urban environments. For this purpose, an intelligent electric vehicle was equipped with vision cameras and other sensors to be applied in three big areas of robot navigation : the Environment Perception, Local Navigation Control, and Global Navigation Management. In the environment perception, a 2D and 3D image processing approach was proposed to segment the road area and detect the obstacles. This segmentation approach also provides some image features to local navigation control.Based on the previous detected information, a hybrid control approach for vision based navigation with obstacle avoidance was applied to road lane following. It is composed by the validation of a Visual Servoing methodology (deliberative controller) in a new Image-based Dynamic Window Approach (reactive controller). To assure the car’s global navigation, we proposed the association of the data from digital maps in order tomanage the local navigation at critical points, like road intersections. Experiments in a challenging scenario with both simulated and real experimental car show the viabilityof the proposed methodology.