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People with visual impairment typically have at least one of the following reservations when using a white cane: uncertainties about the environment (typically, visually impaired people can move about their daily environments without a white cane but need one to feel the road ahead in unfamiliar environments) and considerations of personal pride (i.e., a hesitancy to ask for help out of fear of inconveniencing others). In an uncertain and unsafe crowded environment, such as a high-speed rail (HSR) or train station, people with visual impairment may require assistance from others even when holding a white cane. Even if a person with visual impairment overcomes their emotional barriers to ask for assistance, they may worry about whether the person they have sought assistance from can safely guide them to their destination. Many people guide people with visual impairment by pulling on the white cane. This action prevents people with visual impairment from detecting obstacles in the path and thus increases their likelihood of falling, which adds to their anxiety.
　　In this study, a visual impairment navigation recommender system with context awareness was designed using topology techniques to construct user profiles for and provide location services to individuals with visual impairment. After the context awareness module of the designed system understands user needs, it provides the user with a set of mechanisms and methods that can integrate and recommend services. These mechanisms and methods can quickly find and integrate services that meet the needs of users with visual impairment.
　　Considering the differences in lifestyles between people with visual impairment and sighted people, the present study had some notable achievements. First, a context awareness module was constructed. This module uses sensors to collect user context and physical context, which are analyzed to construct a profile of the needs of a user with visual impairment. Second, a visual impairment navigation multiagent system was developed using a Process for Agent Societies Specification and Implementation (PASSI). PASSI was used for cyclic system analysis and design, which enhances the flexibility of the aforementioned system and allows new requirements to be added to it at any time. Third, an agent system was developed to provide recommendation services. Thus, the visual impairment navigation multiagent system designed in this study can recommend as well as select and combine services that meet the needs of users with visual impairment according to their context profile. The developed system can reduce the time and money spent by people with visual impairment in searching for appropriate services and thus can improve their quality of life.

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