Abstract
The rapid pace of innovation and advances in technological research has given hope to the visually impaired people (VIP) to find ways to move around smart cities and enjoy a better quality of life (QoL). There are around 110 million people suffering from visual impairments worldwide, and research will continue to be conducted to discover innovative solutions to improve their mobility. The rise in smartphones and wearable devices, along with the surge in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual and augmented reality (VR)/(AR), has provided aspirations for VIP to enjoy a better QoL. Moreover, smart cities also support the concept of sustainable economic growth and the well-being of their citizens; therefore, their development relies on strong ICT infrastructure. A number of studies have already tested the use of these technologies, showing optimistic results. The main sectors that could be improved to cater for VIP in smart cities are public areas, transportation systems and home systems. This chapter provides a comprehensive review and recommendations on how a smart city can provide better QoL for VIP in the near future.
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Acknowledgements
Dr. Drishty Sobnath would like to acknowledge the Research, Innovation and Enterprise department of Solent University for supporting this work.
Dr. Ikram Ur Rehman would like to acknowledge the CU Coventry for its support. Also, he appreciates the support from Ajaz Ali for his valuable insights for this chapter.
Dr. Moustafa Nasralla would like to acknowledge the management of Prince Sultan University (PSU) for the valued support and research environmental provision which have led to completing this work.
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Sobnath, D., Rehman, I.U., Nasralla, M.M. (2020). Smart Cities to Improve Mobility and Quality of Life of the Visually Impaired. In: Paiva, S. (eds) Technological Trends in Improved Mobility of the Visually Impaired. EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16450-8_1
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