[Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City

[Gerald Levy]

The problem with all these GPS apps and devices is that they are designed to 
simply give you directions for the shortest route between two points, not 
necessarily the safest route.  If these devices were truly designed with 
blind pedestrians in mind, their primary route  suggestion, regardless of 
length, should include only streets with sidewals or walkways that are 
isolated from traffic.    If no such route is available, then they should 
alert you to this fact.  When you use Google Maps to get directions between 
two points, the walking directions include a warning, if appropriate, that 
some parts of the trip may involve walking on highways or other areas that 
might be hazardous.  GPS devices designed for the blind should do the same. 
After all, when you work with an O&M instructor, he will usually recommend 
the safest route between two points even if it means walking out of your way 
to get to your destination.

Gerald


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2013 8:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City


> Occasionally, I have asked Sendero GPS to create a pedestrian route, 
> hoping it would give me a non-highway way to get somewhere, and it has 
> told me to walk on the highway.  NOT!
> Tracy
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kaye" <kayezimpher at comcast.net>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 5:01 PM
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>
>
>>I am from Atlanta, and while that is no Manhattan, I know many blind 
>>people who successfully use various gps apps on their Iphones. I have only 
>>heard of one time that the gps advised a person to turn on to the highway, 
>>even though the app was in pedestrian mode. That might not have ended well 
>>if he had not know where he was going.
>>
>> -----Original Message----- 
>> From: David Andrews
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 12:37 PM
>> To: Tracy Carcione ; Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] GPS in the Big City
>>
>> I have used Street Talk on a Pac Mate, in the distant past, and in
>> Philadelphia, I had the same problems with tall buildings.\
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 10:49 AM 4/10/2013, you wrote:
>>>I work in midtown Manhattan.  I have Sendero GPS, running on a 
>>>Braillenote PK.  I find it pretty unreliable in New York City, probably 
>>>because of the many tall buildings.  It frequently says I'm 2 blocks away 
>>>from where I know I am, and heading in a different direction than I'm 
>>>heading.  My question is, does this happen with all GPS in big cities, or 
>>>is it because the GPS is running on a PK, not the most powerful system in 
>>>the world? Would, say, IPhone GPS be more reliable in the big city?
>>>I am only interested in the big city aspect.  At home, in north Jersey, 
>>>the Sendero and PK work reasonably well.
>>>Thanks.
>>>Tracy
>>
>>
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