Office of the Dean of Students

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Office of the Dean of Students
Mission Provide services and programs that
enable and encourage students to achieve success
in their intellectual and personal development at
Purdue and elsewhere.

• Michael Alexander
• Sak Mahasuverachai
• Bryn Nealis

• Brian Eng
• Jeremy Porath
• Matteo Mannino

• Advisor Prof. David Ebert
• TA Jared Fritz

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GPS-DVIGlobal Positioning System - Device for
the Visually Impaired
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Overview

• Project Overview
• Semester Achievements
• Campus Map
• Improved Coordinate Database
• Voice Output
• Integer-to-speech function
• Improved Software Efficiency
• Distance in Feet
• Path Recalculation
• Simplified Adjacency Matrix
• Human Subjects Testing
• Team Transition

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Project Overview

• Objective To design and implement a portable
  device that will enable students who are visually
  impaired to navigate around campus with the use
  of the global positioning system.
• Solution Program PUGuide
• Integrates GPS receiver and PDA to help user
  navigate around campus using voice output.

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GPS-DVI System GUI
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Campus Map

• Created new campus map with more accurate node
  labeling
• Makes debugging and testing simpler

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Old Campus Map
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Updated Campus Map
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Improved Coordinate Database

• Utilized Freshman engineering teams to collect
  GPS data to improve robustness
• Implemented new data into software for improved
  accuracy

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Voice Output

• Verbal response to nearly all user inputs
• Plays pre-created audio files

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Integer-to-speech function

• Function was created to convert integer values to
  voice output
• Allows simple speech of any number
• Used in many areas throughout program
• Confirmation of user button presses
• Speaking calculated distance from next node and
  destination

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Improved software efficiency

• Created multiple new functions to simplify tasks
  in software
• Done to help this and future semesters teams more
  easily understand and update code

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Distance in Feet

• Tells user how far she is from destination/next
  node on button press
• Accounts for curvature of the Earth
• Important as campus coverage expands
• Allows user to choose their own path if familiar
  with campus

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Path Recalculation

• Allows user flexibility if obstruction exists in
  calculated path
• Strongly desired by project partner
• Allows for simple implementation of
  automatic/manual path recalculation

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Simplified Adjacency Matrix

• New functions complete difficult task of creating
  matrix
• Reduces work required by future teams
• Allows simple update of data and adjacency
  information
• Will provide future teams with much easier method
  of expanding campus coverage
• Simplified creation
• Excel workbook to generate adjacency matrix

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Old Adjacency Matrix
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New Adjacency Matrix
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Human Subjects Testing

• Could not complete because of certification
  requirements
• Have completed many required documents to reduce
  time required next semester
• Have contact information for two students
  interested in participating once team has
  approval
• User testing will improve overall product
  functionality and provide first-hand feedback

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Team Transition

• Documentation created
• Code commenting
• Explanation of functions document
• Group meeting used to explain status to
  continuing members
• Files reorganized
• Files placed in logical locations on ODOS shared
  drive
• Files also zipped to allow members to download
  easily to personal computers

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ICMInteractive Campus Map

• Objective To help students with physical
  disabilities locate the best accessible path
  between campus locations by drawing a map

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Semester Goals

• Optimize load time
• Increase campus coverage
• Prepare kiosk for use
• Collect feedback
• Deliver project

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How does ICM work?

• User gives start/end information on website
• Calculates shortest path
• Draws map
• Encodes image
• Displays map

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Breakdown of Components

• Web Interface
• Node Database
• Path Finding Algorithm
• Image Manipulation

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Web Interface

• Provides user input to the best path
  implementation routine
• Simple and easy to use
• Easy to maintain for future semesters
• Accessible via home computers, not just kiosk

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Nodes on the Map
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Node Database

• Uses pseudo GPS coordinates
• Scaled pixel coordinates
• Ability to swap map images easily
• About 250 nodes for main campus

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Database Example
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Path Finding

• Uses Dijkstras algorithm and campus as a
  directed graph
• Finds shortest path from source node to
  destination node

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Image Manipulation

• Bresenhams line-drawing algorithm
• Cropping
• Automatic scrolling on whole map view

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DEMO
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Kiosk

• Wheelchair accessible
• To be placed in MSEE Atrium

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This Semester

• Version 1.0 of ICM software completed
• Software load time about 120 times faster
• From 4 minutes to 2 seconds
• Added cropping function
• Option to view cropped or full image
• Improved user interface
• Added about 150 nodes
• Software manual completed

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Project Planning

• Obtain feedback from wheelchair users
• Make improvements based on feedback
• Delivery of ICM planned for 4th week of next
  semester

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Comments/Questions
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• Thank You!