Robot-Assisted Group Tours for Blind People

2026-02-04

AI Summary

This study addresses the significant barriers blind individuals face in social interactions within mixed-visual groups—comprising both sighted and visually impaired participants—due to the absence of visual cues, particularly in contexts like museum tours where their participation is often limited. To bridge this gap, the work introduces a mobile robot into real-world settings, proposing interaction design principles grounded in authentic environments. Building on insights from field interviews, the authors develop a user-need model and integrate navigation, environmental perception, and contextual information delivery into a deployable prototype system. In an in-situ evaluation at a science museum with eight blind participants, the robot-mediated navigation consistently enhanced users’ sense of safety, and participants clearly articulated preferences regarding environmental information access and support for group interaction, demonstrating the system’s effectiveness and innovation in improving social participation experiences.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Human-Robot Interaction
• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Location- and context-aware Web and WoT applications and services

Abstract

Group interactions are essential to social functioning, yet effective engagement relies on the ability to recognize and interpret visual cues, making such engagement a significant challenge for blind people. In this paper, we investigate how a mobile robot can support group interactions for blind people. We used the scenario of a guided tour with mixed-visual groups involving blind and sighted visitors. Based on insights from an interview study with blind people (n=5) and museum experts (n=5), we designed and prototyped a robotic system that supported blind visitors to join group tours. We conducted a field study in a science museum where each blind participant (n=8) joined a group tour with one guide and two sighted participants (n=8). Findings indicated users'sense of safety from the robot's navigational support, concerns in the group participation, and preferences for obtaining environmental information. We present design implications for future robotic systems to support blind people's mixed-visual group participation.

Problem

• blind people
• group interaction
• visual cues
• mixed-visual groups
• social engagement

Innovation

• robot-assisted navigation
• blind accessibility
• mixed-visual group interaction
• social robotics
• museum accessibility