SLAM for Visually Impaired People: a Survey

In recent decades, several assistive technologies have been developed to improve the ability of blind and visually impaired individuals to navigate independently and safely. At the same time, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques have become sufficiently robust and efficient to be adopted in developing these assistive technologies. We present the first systematic literature review of 54 recent studies on SLAM-based solutions for blind and visually impaired people, focusing on literature published from 2017 onward. This review explores various localization and mapping techniques employed in this context. We discuss the advantages and limitations of these techniques for blind and visually impaired navigation. Moreover, we examine the major challenges described across studies. We explain how SLAM technology offers the potential to improve the ability of visually impaired individuals to navigate effectively. Finally, we present future opportunities and challenges in this domain.