Our Solution

Our solution was built through understanding 7 phases that blind or visually-impaired users typically experience when traveling independently.

The non-visual navigation journey

 
Graphic showing 7 phases for non visual navigation including Planning, Receiving Directions, Situational Awareness, Obstacle Detection, Mode Change, Last Mile and Arrival.
 

1

Planning

2

Directions

3

Situational Awareness

4

Obstacle Detection

5

Mode Change

6

Last mile

7

Arrival & Reflection
Identify a safe and planned route to a destination. Utilize GPS or other apps to receive voice instructions that lead from one point to another. Gain contextual information about surroundings like street names and points of interest. Detect and successfully avoid objects that block part of a path or an entire path. Switch the mode of transportation i.e. from walking to bus or car share and back to walking. Find the correct building and entrance to complete the journey. Confirm the correct destination has been reached. Record the experience and adjust future trips.

Sensed features

What do we sense?

Real-time information:

The system senses information from the user’s environment by utilizing the built-in camera, LiDAR, microphones, and GPS.

Directions:

The system senses the most user-friendly route and gives detailed directions through the utilization of city data and community-sourced information.

Points of Interest:

The system informs the user of key geographic points that have been mapped by the blind community or public.

 
package labelled specs2.png
 

How is information transferred?

Sensed sends information in two ways:

  1. The sunglasses contain bone conduction headphones that provide audio cues and voice instructions that rest in front of the user’s ears to not interfere with outside sounds.

  2. The dual wrist bands contain haptic feedback nodes that vibrate to inform the user of which direction they should turn whether they are following navigation instructions or they are avoiding an obstacle.

System feedback

 

Our system gives feedback that can be organized in the following categories to provide users with information they need along their journey:

  • Navigation Guidance: This is audio and haptic feedback they may receive through navigation instructions, when changing modes, and in the last mile.

  • Good Chime: These are positive audio sounds to tell users when they have completed a journey or have otherwise followed instructions successfully.

  • Obstacle Avoidance: These audio cues inform users of obstacles in their path and are specified to inform the user of the type of object.

  • Danger Avoidance: Through direction, speed, and momentum detection, this feedback informs users of potentially dangerous objects in motion.