Our efforts were featured in the October 25th edition of the Asahi Shimbun digital edition.

"I was able to go to a wine bar alone" - a blind man's joy as he navigates the streets with AI There is a smartphone app that is becoming increasingly popular as a reliable "companion" for the visually impaired.
The AI(artificial intelligence) detects people, cars, traffic lights, utility poles, and other things on the road, providing audio guidance.
I walked around town with a man who uses it.
One afternoon in early October, I met up with Hiroyuki Yoshizumi (52) from Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City, who was returning home from his job as a braille instructor. We walked a 10-minute walk to Tenjin Station on the subway.
Yoshizumi held his smartphone to his ear and launched the "Eye Navi" app. A voice announced nearby convenience stores, post offices, and other locations, along with their distances.
"I didn't know there was a Lawson here!" He smiled with delight at his new discovery.
He walked on the tactile paving blocks with his white cane.
Attracted by my voice from the roadside, he nearly ran into a passing car. "Don't be dangerous," I tried to reach out, but he quickly turned away.
It's not uncommon for him to accidentally step onto the road and startle himself, or to collide with a bicycle and break his cane.
"I'm always aware of the risk of losing my life. Walking aimlessly is a dream for the visually impaired," he says.
Halfway through, he lent Yoshizumi his arm and walked along the sidewalk. "Car," "pole," "person," "parking barrier," "red light"... The Inavi app on his smartphone, carried in his chest pouch, recognized each object that appeared ahead and quickly communicated it.
"It's reassuring to hear the announcement that you're going in the right direction."
Tactile paving and audible traffic lights, which were not common when he became blind, have been installed over time.
However, the anxieties of the visually impaired have not been alleviated, with the sound being turned off at night and early in the morning due to complaints from neighbors that the traffic lights were too noisy, and with the increasing number of hybrid cars, it's now difficult to tell the difference by engine noise.
He now lives with his mother. He runs an acupuncture clinic from his home, but also teaches at a medical welfare vocational school and a Braille class, so he often goes out alone.
At the end of two years ago, he started using Inavi at the recommendation of an acquaintance. He can now rush to drinking parties when invited, and easily get to his favorite wine bar. He was happy to know that "even when drunk, I can return home safely by myself."
On a business trip to Tokyo, he was able to visit new places he had always wanted to go to.
A jazz cafe in Waseda, a soba restaurant in Asakusabashi... "Even without Inavi, I might have been able to get there by asking passersby, but now I realize I don't need to go that far. Inavi gives me the encouragement I need to go out," he says gratefully.
It all started with the concept of a "guide dog-type robot."
It was developed by the Computer Science Laboratory (Yahatanigashi Ward, Kitakyushu City). President Hidemi Hayashi (74) was a former vice president at Zenrin, a major map company, where he spearheaded the digitalization of maps and car navigation systems.
Inavi was born from the philosophy of "creating a society where anyone can travel freely and enjoyably anywhere."
The initial concept was to create a "guide dog-type robot" to accompany the visually impaired. The company was founded in 2015 and conducted numerous demonstration experiments while listening to the opinions of visually impaired people, but the technical hurdles were high and things didn't go well.
However, advances in AI have rapidly expanded the possibilities. They developed a system that trains AI to memorize 20 types of high-priority road landmarks, such as cars, bicycles, and traffic lights, improving detection accuracy and providing audio notifications.
They listened to the opinions of visually impaired people and made detailed improvements. Mayumi Senoo (51) of Kokurakita Ward, Kitakyushu City, has been involved in the development as an advisor and is nearly completely blind. "Different visually impaired people require different features. We want to incorporate various opinions and work together to improve the app so that it can be used worldwide," he says.
Basic Functions Free: "Further Improved Detection Accuracy"
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there are an estimated 273,000 visually impaired people nationwide (including those with disability certificates) (as of fiscal year 2022). Meanwhile, the number of guide dogs in operation in Japan fell from 1,067 in fiscal year 2010 to 768 in fiscal year 2024 (according to the Japan Council of Social Welfare Facilities for the Blind).
Inavi also recommends using the app in conjunction with a guide dog. Since its launch in fiscal year 2011, the app has been downloaded more than 33,000 times.
With sponsorship from companies such as Zenrin, the app provides basic functions such as route guidance, obstacle detection, and automatic recording of walking footage free of charge.
Realizing this vision is still a long way off. It can be difficult to detect downhill steps in the direction of travel, and GPS (Global Positioning System) location information can be inaccurate in urban areas with many high-rise buildings. There are still issues that need to be resolved. They also want to respond to requests for an "eye camera" that can be worn on glasses or the ear, rather than a smartphone.
Hayashi says, "I started this business to help people with visual impairments. While striving to continue providing the device free of charge, I want to further improve detection accuracy and increase the number of functions that will enrich people's lives."
Article author: Hatano Daisuke, Western News Center Excerpt from the Asahi Shimbun digital edition

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