A muliti functional walking stick.
Planning:
1) The postcode is read out to the tip of the walking stick.
2) the stick records the route information (using a typical sat nav route technology)
3) The route information is read out to to the user (expalinig details of the journey such as highways, traffic,footpaths etc.).
Navigation:
4) A button is push when the user wants to begin the jouney.
5) The stick calculates and measures the distances (what has been covered against what is left. Also put into account the turns and corners in the journey) and guides the user accordingly, while also avoiding obstacles along the route. The walking stick will have features similar to the Haptic touch and more.
It will be programmed to recognize basic surface texture which will be illustrated using some power cursor effects.
The idea will be discussed further tomorrow. At the meeting.
Idea 2: will be presented tomorrow, also at the meeting.
2 comments:
the idea to read the postcode TO the stick is good, but I can imagine there could be problems with the navigation read back to the user if the environment is particularly noisy.
And, as Bob said, blind people prefer to have the sense of hearing not always engaged (as it would be if they have to listen to constant indications).
More in general, we should try to use haptic feedback, therefore the information the stick gains on the texture should be accordingly transferred to the person through the handle.
We will work on this tomorrow, although I would like to listen your other idea as well.
I like the idea of using the walking stick as it's an object most of the visually impaired are already very familiar with handling. Not to mention how it helps them stay oriented.
But like Andrea pointed out, haptic feedback would be a much better option so that the user can still have their auditory channels open for other uses.
I have an idea as well I would like to discuss at the meeting on how to provide the user with haptic feedback about obstacles along the route. I'm not sure the walking stick would be the best medium to receive this feedback through though, but we could all deliberate and decide.
See y'all later!
Olamide.
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