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

[KAYE KIPP]

Why do people waste money on things like that?  The more we're set apart 
from society, the more we're going to be set back.  And I think this type of 
thing does just that.  With proper training, we don't need it, and would one 
hear the noise it makes in heavy traffic?

Kaye
----- 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."
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>
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