[nabs-l] Crossing the Street for the Blind

Sat Nov 15 15:59:12 UTC 2008

I'd agree there, but sometimes you have a hearing loss as well as a
blindness issue . I'd rather have the device vibrate and beep at me if i  do
start vearing and if I have a hearing loss then it to stop the traphic
suddenly.

Take care.

Sarah "Alawami
The christmas holidays are coming up! check out my music page at
http://music.marrie.org for some relaxing  holiday favorites.

Thanks and have a wonderful day.

-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Beth
Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2008 9:22 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Crossing the Street for the Blind

Interesting stuff, Arielle.  I'd rather have, however, an accessible cell
phone rather than the cell phone I have in order to use the software he's
putting together.  He's got a long way to go as far as learning what blind
people actually use.
Beth

On 11/9/08, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I wonder how many people's blindness training could be funded by the 
> money needed for this project?
>
> 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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