[Nfb-idaho] Fw: hmmm, what do you think of this? Fw: Accessible Devices Press Release:New Cross Walk Safety System ForThe Visually Impaired

[Mike Freeman]

Anyone know about this? Sounds like kaka to me!

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lauren Merryfield" <lauren1 at catliness.com>
To: "NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 6:35 PM
Subject: [nfbwatlk] hmmm,what do you think of this? Fw: Accessible 
Devices Press Release:New Cross Walk Safety System ForThe Visually 
Impaired


Hi,
Here's that dreaded subject again.  What do you think of this?
Thanks
Lauren
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Parker at Vip conduit" <Vipcomm at mchsi.com>
To: "Accessible Devices" <a-d at accessible-devices.com>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 10:48 AM
Subject: Accessible Devices Press Release: New Cross Walk Safety System
ForThe Visually Impaired


> This is the first we've heard of this and we have no further 
> information.
> Developing the Corner of Blind Avenue and Safety Way
> MOSCOW, Idaho - 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."
> 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-assisted signals that 
> 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."
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL:
> <http://mail.accessible-devices.com/pipermail/a-d_accessible-devices.com/attachments/20081106/b1624457/attachment.html>
> This is an Announce only list.  Subscribers are not able to post to 
> this
> list.
> To unsubscribe from the Accessible Devices list copy the line below.
> Paste it in
> the To: line of a blank message and send it.
> a-d-unsubscribe at accessible-devices.com
> Please feel free to pass this message on to a friend who might like to
> subscribe.
> To subscribe to Accessible Devices send a blank e mail to:
> a-d-subscribe at accessible-devices.com
> Just follow the directions in the confirmation message when it comes.
> Please Note: Accessible Devices is not able to provide tech support 
> for
> software or products that we supply information about.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> A-d mailing list
> A-d at accessible-devices.com
> http://mail.accessible-devices.com/mailman/listinfo/a-d_accessible-devices.com
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.549 / Virus Database: 270.9.0/1772 - Release Date: 
> 11/6/2008
> 8:23 PM
>
>


_______________________________________________
nfbwatlk mailing list
nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nfbwatlk:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbwatlk_nfbnet.org/k7uij%40panix.com