With the assistance provided by the white cane or guide dog, most blind pedestrians can find
their way to known destinations along familiar routes. Finding new or known destinations
along unfamiliar routes is more challenging. Before such a journey is attempted, detailed
instructions must be acquired. The difficulty of obtaining and then reliably following such
instructions deters many blind pedestrians from travelling alone in unknown areas. This
paper demonstrates a technological approach, by way of field trials, that supplements the
existing aids and eliminates the need for sighted guides. The approach has the potential to
offer greater independence to the blind person. The investigation suggests that the
methodology used in personal navigation systems for the sighted is sub-optimal for guiding
the blind pedestrian. Suitable extensions are introduced, and the results show the proposed
methodology is efficient for guiding the blind individual to unknown destinations in the
chosen field trial environment.