[il-talk] So that the Blind may cross Streets Safely

Wed Nov 12 03:00:12 UTC 2008

Debbie,
These are all very good points.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Deborah Kent Stein" <dkent5817 at worldnet.att.net>
To: "NFB of Illinois Mailing List" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 8:22 PM
Subject: Re: [il-talk] So that the Blind may cross Streets Safely

>
>
> Thanks, Dave, for posting this.  It seems that a lot of engineers are 
> working on this sort of gadget, where users have to carry a signaling 
> device.  This article claims that changing the signals at crosswalks all 
> over the country can be done cheaply and easily (I guess that's all 
> relative), but doesn't suggest who will pay for the cell phone software 
> that blind people would have to carry.  It also assumes that street 
> crossings are a major problem for blind people, without any reference to 
> the fact that blind people have been crossing streets safely all along. 
> And it doesn't address the importance of knowing what cars are doing as we 
> cross streets. If we're busy listening to a little voice in a cell phone 
> telling us whether we're on track, will we be distracted from hearing the 
> guy turning right on red and zooming in front of us?
>
> Debbie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dave Wright" <gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "NFB of Illinois Mailing List" <il-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Illinois 
> Association of Blind Students List" <iabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 12:49 AM
> Subject: [il-talk] So that the Blind may cross Streets Safely
>
>
>> Hey there all,
>> This information was posted to the NABS list.
>> What do you all think?
>> Wouldn't it make sense for funds being used to finance such projects be 
>> better utilized by blind individuals who wish to attend training centers?
>>
>>
>>
>> For the 21.2 million Americans who suffer from vision loss,
>> crossing the
>> street can be a stressful and potentially dangerous proposition.
>> Thanks
>> to engineers at the University of Idaho, many visually impaired
>> individuals soon may have a greatly reduced risk thanks to a tool
>> already in their pockets - their cell phone.
>>
>> The statistics for vision loss, provided by the American
>> Foundation for
>> the Blind, include anyone reporting difficulty seeing, even while
>> wearing glasses or contact lenses. No matter the level of visual
>> impairment, many conditions - including visual noise, walking at
>> night
>> and irregular intersections - can result in missing a crosswalk.
>>
>> Regardless of conditions, the new system being developed in
>> Moscow,
>> Idaho, will make intersections safer and easier to navigate.
>>
>> "Minute for minute on the road, any pedestrian is 150 percent
>> more
>> likely to
>>
>> be injured by a car than somebody driving one," said Richard
>> Wall,
>> professor
>>
>> of electrical and computer engineering. "But it is pretty
>> apparent that
>> the
>>
>> blind pedestrians are the ones most at risk at intersections.b
>>
>> The new technology utilizes features already available in many
>> cellular
>>
>> phones, including communications, Global Positioning Satellite
>> (GPS)
>>
>> functions and magnetic compasses to help visually impaired
>> pedestrians.
>>
>> Specialized software allows these pedestrians to activate the
>> crossing
>>
>> signal remotely without having to locate the physical button.
>>
>> Then, the GPS system monitors the position and direction of
>> travel while
>> crossing. As long as the crosser stays within the crosswalk,
>> nothing
>> happens. But stray outside the lines, and an audible warning
>> activates
>> alerting the pedestrian of their danger. It then provides
>> directions on
>> how to get back within the safety zone. Should the walker somehow
>> end up
>> in the middle of the intersection, the system automatically would
>> turn
>> every light red, stopping traffic and averting a potential
>> disaster.
>>
>> "It's true that this would disrupt the timing of the signal
>> patterns
>> when it gets activated," said Wall. "But we would much rather
>> disrupt
>> them for a few seconds than for a half hour while an ambulance
>> assists a
>> traffic victim."
>>
>> To ensure people don't trigger the alarm just for fun, only those
>> who
>> need the help would be able to acquire the necessary software.
>>
>> The system requires more than software, however. It also requires
>> the
>> installation of new hardware in thousands of lights across the
>> country.
>> Luckily, Wall and his team have found a solution that not only is
>> cost
>> effective, it simplifies the existing system.
>>
>> Many crosswalks currently have handicapped-Many crosswalks curre
>> provide
>> help such as audio tones indicating when it is safe to cross.
>> However,
>> the box that controls the intersection contains a massive amount
>> of
>> wiring. This is necessary to connect each actuator with each
>> signal so
>> at any given time, the control box knows each state.
>>
>> Wall's new system simplifies each box to only two wires, both
>> already
>> required to power the signals. It uses a technology called
>> Ethernet over
>> power line, which allows information to be broadcast over power
>> lines.
>>
>> The future is clear for Wall and his research team. They have
>> established dates to deliver the engineering and expect field
>> trials to
>> commence in June. They are building prototypes supported by funds
>> from
>> the University Transportation Centers program, Idaho's Higher
>> Education
>> Research Council and their commercial partner, Campbell Company,
>> who
>> currently makes the accessible pedestrian signals that chirp and
>> talk
>> for the handicapped.
>>
>> "The signals we're building are more than prototypes. These
>> devices
>> actually can go into the field and work today," said Wall. "We're
>> using
>> existing infrastructure and communicating intelligence over it.
>> It's
>> cost effective, it simplifies the connection to two wires and it
>> can be
>> immediately installed in all the existing crosswalks in the
>> country."
>>
>> If you would like more information, or to speak with the people
>> involved, please let me know.
>>
>> Ken Kingery
>>
>> Science/Research Writer
>>
>> University of Idaho
>>
>> Office: 208-885-9156
>>
>> Cell: 614-570-3942
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>
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