Universally Designed Mobile Augmented Reality as a Digital Aid for Banknote Recognition

Fast and reliable banknote recognition for visually impaired individuals is often an unresolvable obstacle and requires personal assistance. Current assistive technologies, despite addressing blind users and users with low vision directly, commonly lack both portability and user-friendliness, thereby excluding a broader user demographic that could benefit from such solutions. This study introduces a digital aid strategy aimed at simplifying the identification of national and international banknotes across a diverse user spectrum, thus including individuals with varying visual, cognitive, and motor capabilities. Achieved through a mobile augmented reality application, this approach also advocates for incorporating Universal Design principles in crafting more encompassing mobile augmented reality applications. Additionally, the paper emphasizes the technology's potential to advance accessibility and mobile app development. The resulting prototype adheres to Universal Design standards, ensuring accessibility and usability for a wide array of users, regardless of their skills and abilities.