Robust anchor-aided GNSS/PDR pedestrian localization via factor graph optimization for remote sighted assistance

Abstract

Remote Sighted Assistance (RSA) systems provide visually impaired people (VIPs) with real-time guidance by connecting them with remote sighted agents to facilitate daily travel. However, unfamiliar environments often complicate decision-making for agents and can induce anxiety in VIPs, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the assistance provided. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a video-based map assistance method. By pre-recording pedestrian path videos and aligning them with geographic locations, the system enables route preview and enhances navigation guidance. This study introduces a factor graph optimization (FGO) algorithm that integrates Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) data for pedestrian positioning. It incorporates road-anchor constraints, a turning-point-based anchor-matching method, and a coarse-to-fine optimization strategy to improve the positioning accuracy. GNSS provides global reference positions, PDR offers precise relative motion constraints through accurate heading estimation, and anchor factors further enhance localization accuracy by leveraging known geometric features. We collected data using a smartphone equipped with a four-camera module and conducted tests in representative urban environments. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed anchor-aided FGO-GNSS/PDR algorithm achieves robust and accurate positioning, effectively supporting video-based map construction in complex urban settings. With anchor constraints, the mean horizontal positioning error was reduced by 42% to 65% and the maximum error by 38% to 76% across all datasets. In this study, the mean horizontal positioning error was 1.36 m.