Wearable navigation and wayfinding system for people with vision loss
VIS4ION (Visually Impaired Smart Service System for Spatial Intelligence and Onboard Navigation)
A wearable device and smartphone app that gives real-time navigation help to people with visual impairments in complex indoor and city environments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176270 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a wearable plus a smartphone app that combines camera-based location, motion sensors for step counting, and AI-powered scene descriptions to guide you in real time. The team will refine the system with your feedback (a human-in-the-loop design) and run extended trials inside NYU Langone hospital buildings, at the Lighthouse Guild, and across nearby outdoor city blocks. Participants will try the system in real-world routes while researchers collect performance data and user experience feedback to improve accuracy and usability. The work builds on an earlier pilot that showed improved navigation efficiency and greater user confidence.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with visual impairments who have trouble navigating large indoor facilities or multi-block urban routes and who can use a wearable device and smartphone in the NYC area.
Not a fit: People without vision loss, those unable or unwilling to use a smartphone or wearable, or people who live far from the NYC trial sites will likely not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make moving through hospitals and city streets safer and easier, increasing independence and reducing trips, falls, and navigation-related anxiety.
How similar studies have performed: An earlier R21 pilot reported better navigation efficiency and higher user confidence, but larger real-world trials are still limited.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rizzo, John Ross — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Rizzo, John Ross
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.