[fb-exchange] Fwd: [IrelandVIPNews] Fwd: technology concepts that could greatly enhance the quality of > life for blind and visually impaired people, Microsoft

Dominique Farrell <hollyandopal@xxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 28 Feb 2015 18:49:58 +0100

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Begin forwarded message:

> From: Tony Sweeney <tonymsweeney@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 28 February 2015 6:01:28 p.m. CET
> To: ireland vip news <irelandvipnews@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [IrelandVIPNews] Fwd: technology concepts that could greatly enhance 
> the quality of > life for blind and visually impaired people, Microsoft
> Reply-To: List for discussing news and issues relating to the visually 
> impaired in Ireland <irelandvipnews@xxxxxxxx>
> 
> Hi all. Below is an article somebody on the DFHP list posted the other day, > 
> I thought I'd pass it on. From what I read on this list and others it would > 
> seem that most think that Apple are the only one doing things for the blind > 
> community but this item shows that M.S. is also contributing. It contains > a 
> link to an audio described You Tube link. Walter. > > > > 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. 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: > ..A 'Cities Unlocked' smartphone app that can be used with just 
> one hand > ..A bone-conducting headset containing a Gyro, GPS and 
> Accelerometer to place > information in 3D space relative to the direction 
> the user is facing > ..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 clipclop 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 wellbeing 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 > Recognising 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?v9D1IhKKYs
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[fb-exchange] Fwd: [IrelandVIPNews] Fwd: technology concepts that could greatly enhance the quality of > life for blind and visually impaired people, Microsoft

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