The event brought together the two research projects “Smart Sport Assistance” and “Sinnvoll Aktiv” (Meaningfully Active), both of which focus on different aspects of inclusion and support for blind and visually impaired individuals. During the morning session, a series of presentations showcased the projects’ findings, including the „Awareness Box“, a key outcome of Smart Sport Assistance, along with several of its integrated assistance systems developed by HTL Leonding and TGM. This topic was further explored in a presentation by Prof. Rutkowska and Prof. Bednarczuk titled “Sustainable Use Case Ideas for the Awareness Box in Poland.”
The transition to the „Sinnvoll Aktiv“ project, which addresses the preservation of mobility in older adults with visual impairments, was made with a keynote by Prof. Caserotti, titled “Challenges of Aging and Visual Impairment and How Physical Activity Can Act as a Magic Pill.” In this context, two development teams from HTL Leonding presented the first prototype of the „Sportsfreund“ assistance system, designed to guide visually impaired users through exercise routines. It provides real-time autonomous feedback based on AI-driven computer vision technology. A humanoid robot demonstrates the correct body position, which can be explored by touch.
In the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to try out several of the systems at three interactive stations. A new digital version of the traditionally analog goalball allowed for exciting duels in this popular blind sport. At the “blind free-throw” tournament, attendees tested the Goalfinder system, which uses acoustic signals to indicate the location of the basketball hoop and detects board hits and successful baskets. Additionally, a realistic obstacle course offered the chance to practice spatial orientation using a white cane. The active participation and feedback from blind and visually impaired attendees were especially valuable, as they shared their personal experiences. A dedicated feedback station was also available for students currently working on new assistance systems as part of „Sinnvoll Aktiv“. Here, a panel consisting of an individual with visual impairment, a technology expert, and an inclusion specialist provided a wide range of insights and recommendations. "Smart Sport Assistance" and "Sinnvoll Aktiv" are financially supported by the research funding program "Sparkling Science 2.0" of the Federal Ministry Women, Science and Research (https://www.bmfwf.gv.at/). Implementation and coordination of this support are managed by the OeAD (https://oead.at/).
