Internet of Things Approach to Transport for Blind Travelers (Thesis Proposal Sample)

Project Proposal
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Abstract
Not knowing about the availability of suitable or free seats on public transport is associated with increased anxiety among blind travelers. This issue raises the demand for a mechanism to improve communication between people with reduced vision and transporters to minimize the struggles the blind face when traveling. This project proposes the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) approach and anonymized onboard camera for detecting free seating spaces in public transport and communicating this via text message or app to enable disabled individuals to know when there are available spaces for them and specifically the vehicle where such a seat exists. The whole system will comprise of two devices to facilitate communication between transporters and blind passengers. A smart vehicle model will be fitted on the public vehicles for detecting empty seats in the vehicles and send the information to the disabled. A smartwatch, worn by blind passengers, will be used for receiving and communicating the availability and suitability of free seats in the vehicles and the specific places to find the vehicles. Communication will be delivered through text or audio, depending on the suitability to the user. This system will be for people with impaired vision and will be ideal for reducing anxiety during traveling. Besides, drivers will be notified of the presence of individuals with low vision to reserve spaces onboard for them.
Project Proposal
Will there be a seat for me?
Introduction
Individuals with impaired vision experience frequent anxieties because of not knowing about the availability of suitable or free seats on public transport. This issue has shifted from worse to the worst in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Governments have enacted strict transportation rules such as maintaining social distancing while in public transportation systems. As a result, people with low vision have reduced ability to move around due to limited access to public transport. There is, therefore, the need to develop an efficient and effective mechanism to guide individuals with low vision on how to access public transport to minimize their anxiety during public transportation. The Internet of Things (IoT) approach may be used to develop an anonymized onboard camera for detecting free seating spaces in public transport and communicating this information to the disabled via text messaging or app. This mechanism is proposed and well illustrated in this paper. This approach will be crucial because it will enable disabled individuals to know when there are available spaces for them and the location of the vehicle with a vacant seat to help reducing anxiety among disabled travelers.
Literature Review
One of the Global Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is making public transport safe, sustainable, and inclusive (Gehre Galvão & Zeferino de Menezes, 2020). In this regard, all travelers ought to have access to sustainable transportation systems. However, these goals may