Verification of LED Blocks Used at Crosswalk Entrances for Persons with Visually Impairment

A person with low visual capacity's eyesight might decrease remarkably under low-light conditions such as the morning, evening, and nighttime, decreasing their opportunities to go out. Research and development underway to ensure safe walking for visually impaired persons examined a walking guidance system in which LED blocks are embedded into the road at edges of warning blocks installed at crosswalk entrances. The LED block used in the experiment is 120mm wide and 300mm long. The LED block is a flat-topped bar made from transparent acrylic fiber. The solar panel and LED are embedded in the ground. The LED block is set adjacent to the warning block at crosswalk entrances. The LED block can be detected with the visually impaired person's residual vision. Blind persons can also detect this block through the soles of their shoes. The detectability of this LED block was evaluated by subjective experiments performed by visually impaired and blind persons. The function of the temporary stop can be strengthened in the sight or the sense of touch. Installing LED blocks at crosswalk entrances was found to be useful for guiding visually impaired persons.