Project Guideline: Enabling the Blind and Low Vision to Run Independently

 

About

 

Project Guideline is a research project uses computer vision machine learning models to help blind and visually impaired persons walk, run, and exercise independently, and ultimately navigate the world freely.

The project started in an internal hackathon, where we built the first prototype for a mobile app that could help blind users navigate based on a line painted (or taped) on the ground.

Later that year, I led a Google computer vision research group in developing an on-device semantic segmentation model (based on DeepLabv3), an audio feedback solution, and an Android app. The system is capable of helping a runner stay on course with just a simple mobile phone RGB camera.

Using this system, Thomas Panek completed an independent 8 laps indoor run at the Armory Track in NYC, the first official untethered 5K run for a blind runner. Another 10K run was completed by Masamitsu Misono in Japan a year later.

As of today, Project Guideline is an ongoing Google Research that aims at utilizing on-device computer vision research to help blind and visually impaired users run, walk and navigate the world independently.

My roles: Founder (with Ryan Burke), Project lead, Technical Product Manager

 

Collaborators

  • Thomas Panek, President & CEO at Guiding Eyes for the Blind

  • Google Creative Lab

  • Google Perception Research

  • Google Accessibility Organization

 

PRESS

VentureBeat: "Google’s Project Guideline uses AI to help low-vision users navigate running courses"

New York Times: “A blind runner issued a challenge to technologists last year to find a way for him to run safely without a guide. They did.”

The Batch by deeplearning.ai: “A computer vision system is helping to keep runners with impaired vision on track.”

Engaget: “Google is testing an AI system to help vision-impaired people run races”

Forbes: “How Google’s Project Guideline Technology Helped A Blind Runner Gain ‘The Freedom To Run Solo’”

Google AI Blog: “Project Guideline: Enabling Those with Low Vision to Run Independently”

Google Keyword (by Thomas Panek): “How Project Guideline gave me the freedom to run solo”