Human-computer Interfaces Aiding the Visually Impaired

Dear Colleagues,

Please note the following facts:

1. Visual impairment is one of the most serious sensory disabilities. It can deprive an individual of an active professional and social live.
2. EU reports indicate that for every 1000 Europeans citizens, four are blind or suffer from serious visual impairment, and this number is predicted to increase with time due to our ageing society.
3. We have experienced tremendous advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT) both in terms of innovative computing paradigms like machine learning (e.g. deep learning) and developments of electronic technologies like global positioning systems, mobile wireless networks, and the internet of things.
4. Numerous worldwide research efforts have focused on building innovative aids to help the blind to overcome accessibility and mobility barriers.
5. With the approaching third decade of the 21st century, no single electronic travel aid (ETA) solution has been widely accepted by the blind community.

The aim of this Special Issue is to apprise the current state-of-the-art in the field of electronic interfaces aiding the blind in independent travel, navigation, and access to information. Contributions demonstrating fully functional assistive technologies or reporting recent research projects and their outcomes are particularly encouraged. We also welcome review articles focusing on selected aspects of technologies aiding visually disabled persons, such as sonification or haptification.

Submissions can cover any of the following topics:

• space perception and recognition,
• mobility aids for the blind,
• interfaces assisting in understanding graphics and text detection in 3D scenes,
• sensory substitution systems, e.g. auditory and haptic displays,
• navigation and information systems for the blind, e.g., path planning support, access to public transport,
• remote/networked guidance systems.

Prof. Pawel Strumillo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• visual impairment
• space perception
• mobility
• travel aids
• assistive technologies
• sonification
• haptification