Guide Dog

Guide dogs provide invaluable mobility assistance to visually impaired individuals, but their limited availability and high maintenance costs necessitate alternative solutions. Current research focuses on developing robotic guide dogs, exploring various robot architectures (including wheeled and quadrupedal designs) and navigation algorithms (e.g., incorporating semantic mapping and deep reinforcement learning) to achieve safe and efficient guiding. This research emphasizes user-centered design, incorporating feedback from blind and low-vision individuals and guide dog handlers to improve usability and trust in robotic systems, ultimately aiming to enhance independence and quality of life.