NAVI - Navigation Assistance for the Visually Impaired

340 million blind and visually impaired people live with a crisis of independence. White canes only detect ground hazards. Guide dogs cost $30k and have 10-year wait lists. GPS fails indoors. Existing "smart" devices are bulky and costly ($3,500-$5,000). Result: blind people avoid hospitals, government offices, universities, and jobs not because they cannot navigate, but because navigating unfamiliar buildings trigger anxiety and real danger.

NAVI is a smart cap + mobile app that enables real-time indoor navigation without maps, GPS, or infrastructure. The user voice-commands a target ("washroom," "exit," "reception Desk" etc.). NAVI continuously searches the camera feed for that target using on-device object and text recognition. When found, it says "target located - 20 steps straight ahead." An inertial sensor counts steps and confirms direction; if the user drifts, NAVI recalibrates. Once the user reaches the target, NAVI confirms arrival via the vision model. This works in any building, any time, with zero infrastructure setup - no beacons, no pre-mapping, no server costs.

NAVICare, a companion app, adds an institutional and caregiver safety layer. In an emergency (fall, disorientation, medical event), the user presses a button or voice-commands "help." The app instantly sends live location, recent movement, and a short scene summary to registered caregivers and institutional contacts. This cuts emergency response time, and meets growing duty-of-care compliance requirements for hospitals, schools, and employers.

We combine on-device AI + step-based inertial navigation + zero-infrastructure design in one device, enabling instant global deployment with no beacon installation, no building mapping, and no per-location deployment cost.

NAVI’s goal is to become the default navigation layer for the 300M+ people living with moderate to severe visual impairment worldwide.

組長
Team Leader
GUPTA Navya (HKU)

組員
Team Member
LOHANO Luv Kumar (HKU)
DSOUZA Aaron Chris (HKU)
DANDYAN Nivesh (HKU)

院校顧問
Faculty Advisor
Mr. Kyle HE (HKU)

Website
https://www.naviguide.hk/