• Journal of recreation and landscape
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.35-44
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• 2018

The purpose of this research is to evaluate Seoullo 7017 based on Universal Design (UD) principles and guidelines. To derive UD principles applicable to the site context, we used the 2017 Seoul Universal Design Guideline and assessment index provided by the Universal Design Research Center and established 11 evaluation criteria. With respect to research methods, a literature review and on-site field survey were applied, through which we derived UD principles and evaluation criteria to identify UD problems. The 11 evaluation criteria consist of pedestrian space, facilities, access, main entrance, parking lots, trails, restrooms, convenience facilities, information facilities, rest areas, and playgrounds, and these were associated with UD principles for evaluation. As a result, the main entrance had the highest UD score, while parking lots had the lowest in terms of equity, safety, simplicity, and accessibility. Restrooms received a lower UD score because of poor conditions of security and alert systems. Rest areas were found to be uncomfortable for disabled people. With respect to the internal trails, we found the lack of braille block and irregular placement of planting pots made blind people uncomfortable when walking. In terms of UD principles, flexibility received the highest score, followed by amenity, equity, simplicity, tolerance, accessibility, and safety. Flexibility received the highest score, owing to the provision of proper information about convenience facilities and trails, while safety received the lowest, based on poor access to parking lots, inadequate paving materials and colors, and a lack of 24-hour security systems. We hope this research contributes to improving the universal design, so that people are not discriminated against in the use of the park in terms of age, sex, or physical disability. We expect the study to help facilitate empirical studies to verify UD principles and provide improved quality of UD for Seoullo 7017.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.45-48
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• 2019

Detection of crosswalk is an important issue for the blind to walk without the help of others. There is a braille block on the sidewalk, which helps the blind to walk. On the other hand, crosswalk is more dangerous due to the moving vehicles. However, there is no appropriate means to induce the blind. In this paper, we propose a method to detect crosswalk in front of a blind and estimate its direction using an image sensor. We adopt multi-ROIs and make their binary versions. In order to determine whether it is a crosswalk, two features are extracted; one is the number of crossing in the binary image and the other is the ratio of white area. We can also estimate the direction of the crosswalk through the slope of the projection data. We evaluated the performance using experimental dataset and the proposed algorithm showed 80% accuracy of detection.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.186-200
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• 2023

This study aims to improve the usability of the white cane, which is walking equipment that most local visually impaired people use and carry when going out, and to contribute to the prevention of safety accidents and the walking rights of visually impaired people by providing improvement and resolution measures for the problems identified. Also, this study is a study on the visually impaired, primarily targeting the 1st to 2nd degree visually impaired people, who cannot go out on their own without walking equipment such as a white cane, corresponding to 20% among approximately 250,000 blind and low vision people in the Korean population. In the study process, the concept has been developed from the user's point of view in order that the white cane becomes a real help in the walking step of the visually impaired and the improvement of usability of the white cane, the main walking equipment for the visually impaired, are done by problem identification through the Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking (Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test (verify)). As a result of the investigation in the process of Empathy, a total of five issues was synthesized, including an increase in the proportion of the visually impaired people, an insufficient workforce situation to help all the visually impaired, an improvement and advancement of assistive devices essential for the visually impaired, problems of damage, illegal occupation, demolition, maintenance about braille blocks, making braille block paradigms for the visually impaired and for everyone. In Ideate and Prototype steps, situations derived from brainstorming were grouped and the relationship were made through the KJ method, and specific situations and major causes were organized to establish the direction of the concept. The derived solutions and major functions are defined in four categories, and representative situations requiring solutions and major functions are organized into two user scenarios. Ideas were visualized by arranging the virtual Persona and Customer Journey Map according to the situation and producing a prototype through 3D modeling. Finally, in the evaluation, the final concept derived is a device such a smart cane for guidance for the visually impaired as ① a smart cane emphasizing portability + ② compatibility with other electronic devices + ③ a product with safety and convenience.