[Njagdu] interesting app, check out the info

[Patricia Ebel]

Hi, I'm not sure if this app is for the iPhone or Android phones, but 

> since the venture involves Microsoft, it's probly going to be 

> developed for Windows phones too:

> 

> Seen in Visionary - International Guide Dogs Federation magazine, 

> February 2015.

> "Cities Unlocked" - exploring the world using 3D Soundscapes".

> John Shelton - "Cities Unlocked" Programme, Manager, Guide Dogs UK.

> 

> Background:

> In 2013 Guide Dogs and Microsoft created a film called A Family Day 

> Out to demonstrate technology concepts that could greatly enhance the 

> quality of life for blind and visually impaired people.

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FcwzLLYZiI

> 

> Following the launch of the film, Guide Dogs and Microsoft teamed up 

> with Future Cities Catapult to research and pilot some of the 

> concepts; the programme of work is called Cities Unlocked. To bring 

> the concepts imagined in the film to life, we conducted an in-depth 

> analysis of current technology and transport issues affecting intermodal:

> journeys made by people who are blind or partially sighted. This 

> research identified the key stress points in their journeys and 

> possible solutions to alleviate them. We then set about designing and 

> developing prototype technologies that, with a little training and 

> practice, dissolve into the background of the user experience to 

> enhance but not hinder cognitive ability. The pilot technologies are 

> moving us closer to Social Computing whereby places, points of 

> interest and objects are aware of each other, and are contextually aware
of us and our social interactions.

> 

> How the technology works:

> Crudely speaking, there are three aspects to the technology:

> 1. A "Cities Unlocked" Smartphone app that can be used with just one hand.

> 2. A bone-conducting headset containing a Gyro, GPS and Accelerometer 

> to place information in 3D space relative to the direction the user is
facing.

> 3. A boosted environment using GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy 

> beacons to aid orientation, navigation, transport and retail 

> experiences Once user preferences have been set and a route selected, 

> the phone can be stowed in a pocket or bag, leaving the user free to 

> go about their business whilst receiving useful information through the
headset in a unique 3D Soundscape.

> Additional buttons mounted on the headset, allow the user to access 

> more information on the move without needing to take the phone out of 

> their bag or pocket.

> 

> Here are examples of some of the features:

> If the user is facing in the wrong direction they hear a clip-clop 

> sound coming from the direction that they should be facing. The user 

> rotates towards the clip-clop sound, and when they are facing in the 

> right direction they will hear a gentle ping sound. The ping sound 

> plots the route, so the user simply follows the ping whilst using their
guide dog or cane.

> 

> Along the route the user receives navigation information e.g. "turn 

> left in

> 20 metres".

> They also receive contextual information e.g. "dropped curb 

> approximately 3 metres" or "caution, this street regularly has cars parked
on the pavement".

> 

> Points of interest, shops and street furniture are also announced in 

> 3D Soundscape - it sounds as though the announcement is coming from 

> the direction of the point of interest. If the user changes direction 

> the announcement automatically changes direction accordingly.

> 

> Bus stops, bus timetables, and when the next bus is approaching are 

> announced. On the bus journey the technology continues to announce 

> approaching stops and points of interest that the bus is passing. It 

> also works in a similar fashion on train journeys.

> 

> Results from our user trials:

> We conducted a trial with 8 participants and used data collection 

> tools to assess mobility and quality of life factors while the 

> participants undertook a long, complex and unfamiliar intermodal journey
without the technology.

> This provided a baseline measure against which to measure any positive 

> or negative effects when travelling the same journey some weeks later 

> using the technology.

> The illustration shows the improvements across 17 well being measures 

> in six areas; physiology, orientation skills, cognitive/conceptual 

> skills, mobility skills, safety skills, and use of residual vision (for
those that had some).

> The pink area shows results using their normal mobility aid, the blue 

> area shows the improvement when the technology is used alongside the 

> mobility aid.

> The results show that the concept is a success in helping VI people's 

> mobility. Importantly, none of the markers showed a negative impact, 

> and the results indicate that the technology is a complement to 

> traditional mobility aids.

> 

> Next steps:

> Recognizing that the solutions need to be sustainable on their own 

> merit, otherwise they will raise expectations and lead to 

> disappointment, we have now started planning for Phase 2 to 

> incorporate the lessons learned into a bigger and more ambitious 

> project. We know that what we are doing is important globally - but we 

> must all remember that what we are doing isn't really about the
technology; it is about people and the user experience.

> 

> Watch the Cities Unlocked film with audio description:

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949D1IhKKYs

 

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