Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Sasayaki: Augmented Voice Web Browsing Experience

  Daisuke Sato, Shaojian Zhu, Masatomo Kobayashi, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2011) — Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '11)

  This paper introduces Sasayaki (Japanese for 'whisper'), a prototype that augments the standard screen-reader voice with a second, physically separated synthesised voice that whispers contextually relevant hints — for example 'entering main content',…

  • screen readers
  • auditory interface
  • voice browser
  • web accessibility
  • blindness and low vision
  • non-visual interaction
  • assistive technology
  • multimodal
  • speech technology

• On the Audio Representation of Radial Direction

  Susumu Harada, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2011) — Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '11)

  This paper proposes a new primitive for auditory displays — radial direction — and evaluates a concrete mapping of vowel-like sounds to eight cardinal and ordinal directions. The authors observe that almost all prior sonification work has mapped data…

  • sonification
  • auditory display
  • auditory interface
  • non-visual interaction
  • eyes-free interaction
  • navigation
  • blindness and low vision
  • assistive technology
  • human-computer interaction

• NavCog: A Navigational Cognitive Assistant for the Blind

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cole Gleason, Chengxiong Ruan, Kris Kitani, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI '16)

  This paper introduces NavCog, an iPhone-based turn-by-turn navigation assistant designed to guide blind users through unfamiliar indoor and outdoor environments without requiring expensive infrastructure or structural modifications. The authors argue…

  • blind navigation
  • indoor navigation
  • wayfinding
  • orientation and mobility
  • assistive technology
  • mobile accessibility
  • turn-by-turn navigation
  • bluetooth low energy
  • localization
  • points of interest
  • blindness and low vision

• BBeep: A Sonic Collision Avoidance System for Blind Travellers and Nearby Pedestrians

  Seita Kayukawa, Keita Higuchi, João Guerreiro, Shigeo Morishima, Yoichi Sato, Kris Kitani, Chieko Asakawa (2019) — Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '19)

  This paper presents BBeep, an assistive suitcase-shaped system designed to help blind travellers navigate crowded public spaces such as international airports, train stations, and shopping malls. The authors argue that existing blind-navigation resea…

  • blind navigation
  • obstacle avoidance
  • collision avoidance
  • assistive technology
  • wearable technology
  • computer vision
  • pedestrian detection
  • sonification
  • auditory interface
  • orientation and mobility
  • indoor navigation
  • blindness and low vision

• ChitChatGuide: Conversational Interaction Using Large Language Models for Assisting People with Visual Impairments to Explore a Shopping Mall

  Yuka Kaniwa, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima (2024) — Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  ChitChatGuide is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system that wraps a GPT-4-powered conversational interface around an existing BLE-beacon localisation stack (HULOP) to support something most blind-navigation research overlooks: casual, purpose-l…

  • blindness and low vision
  • large language model
  • indoor navigation
  • wayfinding
  • conversational agent
  • orientation and mobility
  • accessible AI
  • mobile accessibility
  • exploration

• Snap&Nav: Smartphone-based Indoor Navigation System For Blind People via Floor Map Analysis and Intersection Detection

  Masaya Kubota, Masaki Kuribayashi, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Shigeo Morishima (2024) — Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (MobileHCI)

  Snap&Nav is a smartphone-based indoor navigation system for blind travellers that works in any building with a visible floor map, without requiring the building owner to pre-build a digital map, install BLE beacons, or deploy any other localisation i…

  • blindness and low vision
  • indoor navigation
  • wayfinding
  • map-less navigation
  • intersection detection
  • orientation and mobility
  • sighted assistance
  • mobile accessibility
  • computer vision

• Beyond Omakase: Designing Shared Control for Navigation Robots with Blind People

  Rie Kamikubo, Seita Kayukawa, Yuka Kaniwa, Allan Wang, Hernisa Kacorri, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2025) — Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '25)

  Kamikubo and colleagues investigate how autonomous navigation robots for blind users should balance robot autonomy against user control, arguing that current systems default to what they call 'omakase' — a Japanese term meaning 'I leave it to you' — …

  • assistive robotics
  • blindness and low vision
  • human-robot interaction
  • social robot navigation
  • shared control
  • autonomy
  • agency
  • museum accessibility
  • social acceptability
  • inclusive design

• Field Trials of Autonomous Navigation Robot for Visually Impaired People

  Hironobu Takagi, Kakuya Naito, Daisuke Sato, Masayuki Murata, Seita Kayukawa, Chieko Asakawa (2025) — Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '25)

  This paper reports field trials of AI Suitcase, an autonomous navigation robot shaped like a conventional carry-on suitcase and designed to guide blind and visually impaired (BVI) travellers safely through unfamiliar public spaces. The system traces …

  • assistive robotics
  • blindness and low vision
  • navigation
  • indoor navigation
  • wayfinding
  • field study
  • museum accessibility
  • social acceptability
  • human-robot interaction

• BentoMuseum: 3D and Layered Interactive Museum Map for Blind Visitors

  Xiyue Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2024) — Communications of the ACM

  BentoMuseum proposes a novel museum map format designed to help blind visitors access the multidimensional information of a complex, multi-floor museum before and during a visit. Unlike conventional tactile maps that depict a single floor layout and …

  • museum accessibility
  • blindness and low vision
  • tactile map
  • audio-tactile interaction
  • 3D printing
  • wayfinding
  • mental map
  • participatory design
  • indoor navigation

• Robot-Assisted Group Tours for Blind People

  Yaxin Hu, Masaki Kuribayashi, Allan Wang, Seita Kayukawa, Daisuke Sato, Bilge Mutlu, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Hu and colleagues investigate how an assistive mobile robot can support blind people's participation in mixed-visual group tours, where blind and sighted visitors share the same guided experience. The motivation is that group activities are central t…

  • assistive robotics
  • museum accessibility
  • blindness and low vision
  • visual impairment
  • group activities
  • social inclusion
  • mixed-ability
  • human-robot interaction
  • navigation
  • inclusive design