INSPEX: Make environment perception available as a portable system

Obstacle avoidance systems for autonomous vehicles combine multiple sensing technologies (i.e. LiDAR, Radar, Ultrasound and Visual) to detect different types of obstacles across the full range of lighting and weather conditions. Sensor data are fused with vehicle orientation (obtained for instance from an Inertial Measurement Unit and/or compass) and navigation subsystems. Power hungry, they require powerful computational capability, which limits their use to high-end vehicles and robots. 2 INSPEX ambition The H2020 INSPEX project plans to make obstacle detection capabilities available as a personal portable multi-sensors, miniaturised, low power device. This device will detect, locate and warn of obstacles under different environmental conditions, in indoor/outdoor environments, with static and mobile obstacles. Potential applications range from safer human navigation in reduced visibility conditions (e.g. for first responders and fire brigades), small robot/drone obstacle avoidance systems to navigation for the visually and mobility impaired people. As primary demonstrator (Fig.1), we will plug the INSPEX device on a white cane (see Fig. 1) for Visually Impaired and Blind (VIB) people to detect obstacle over the whole person height, provide audio feedback about harmful obstacles, improve their mobility confidence and reduce injuries, especially at waist and head levels [1]. The device will offer a "safety cocoon" to its user.