Friday, October 31, 2025 10/31/2025

Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers

Award Number: R01EY029033
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2018
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2023

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers - Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers Summary The goal of this project is to develop a smartphone-based wayfinding app designed to help people with visual impairments navigate indoor environments more easily and independently. It harnesses computer vision and smartphone sensors to estimate and track the user’s location in real time relative to a map of the indoor environment, providing audio-based turn-by-turn directions to guide the user to a desired destination. An additional option is to provide audio or tactile alerts to the presence of nearby points of interest in the environment, such as exits, elevators, restrooms and meeting rooms. The app estimates the user’s location by recognizing standard informational signs present in the environment, tracking the user’s trajectory and relating it to a digital map that has been annotated with information about signs and landmarks. Compared with other indoor wayfinding approaches, our computer vision and sensor-based approach has the advantage of requiring neither physical infrastructure to be installed and maintained (such as iBeacons) nor precise prior calibration (such as the spatially referenced radiofrequency signature acquisition process required for Wi-Fi-based systems), which are costly measures that are likely to impede widespread adoption. Our proposed system has the potential to greatly expand opportunities for safe, independent navigation of indoor spaces for people with visual impairments. Towards the end of the grant period, the wayfinding software (including documentation) will be released as free and open source software (FOSS).


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2021	THE SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	000	4	2/12/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $403,882 )
2021	2021	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	001	4	4/9/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$403,882
2021	2020	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	000	3	12/8/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $403,882

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $822,899 )
2020	2020	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	002	3	9/14/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2020	2020	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	000	3	3/18/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$416,374
2020	2020	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	001	3	9/9/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$406,525
														Subtotal = $822,899

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $521,711 )
2019	2019	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	000	2	3/25/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$416,374
2019	2019	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	002	2	9/20/2019	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2019	2019	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	001	2	9/17/2019	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$105,337
														Subtotal = $521,711

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $416,374 )
2018	2018	SMITH-KETTLEWELL EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE	2318 FILLMORE ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94115	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Vision Research	000	1	3/7/2018	NEW	$416,374
														Subtotal = $416,374

Grand Total All Awards = $2,164,866

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Leveraging Maps and Computer Vision to Support Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers

Award Number: R01EY029033

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/01/2018

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2023

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer