IBM Research Works with Partners to Develop Indoor/Outdoor Navigation System for the Blind.

February 15, 2017 9:18 am

IBM research is working with civil engineering and general contracting firm Shimizu Corporation and real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan to conduct a voice navigation field experiment. The test is being conducted in COREDO Muromachi shopping park in Tokyo Japan.
The field test utilizes 224 beacons that have been strategically placed throughout the shopping park. It then uses the IBM-Carnegie Mellon University pilot smartphone app called NavCog, which was developed to help people with visual impairments, wheelchair use, and language barriers.
The user can then tell their smart phone where they want to go, and the app will begin to give the user voice directions to their location. It also keeps in mind what obstacles might be a problem NavCog, for the user, depending on the user’s disability.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LNSZB4XoDc

Source.

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About James Oates

James Oates officially joined the Cool Blind Tech podcast team in the summer of 2014. James is an advocate of accessible technology across all platforms, with an emphasis on Windows. As a former K-12 educator, James brings his passion for teaching to the CBT audience in an effort to help listeners realize their potential and explore new avenues of empowerment through technology. Blind since childhood, James currently lives in Florida.
You can follow him on Twitter, @BLIND_MATRIX

The Freedom to Read: A Spotlight Interview with the Developer of Spotlight Text.

Dr. Howard Kaplan, the developer of the iOS app, Spotlight Text, sits down with the team at Cool Blind Tech to discuss his amazing eBook reading app for people with low vision problems.

Dr. Kaplan tells us the story of why he became a Retina surgeon, and how his concern for his patients led to him becoming an accessibility advocate. Many of his patients are dealing with Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosis, or complications resulting from Diabetes. After the launch of Kindle eBook reader, Dr. Kaplan was disturbed to find that most of his patients could not read digital material, and there was no good reason for this to be the case. After fruitlessly trying to get the content providers to make their material accessible, he began the process of trying to do it himself. Spotlight Text works in conjunction with Bookshare, a company that provides more than 250,000 eBooks to persons with vision problems.

Here is a description of the app from the App Store:

Spotlight Text is the first eBook reader crafted specifically for individuals with vision loss. How to get started, instructions, and watch a video demonstration here.

“We Read to Know That We Are Not Alone.” – C.S. Lewis

– Access Bookshare’s 250,000+ collection of books (including best sellers and new releases).

– Designed for maximum legibility

– Multiple reading modes including one designed specifically for individuals with RP Constricted Field

– Autoplay mode with customizable speeds

– Increase or decrease font size to your desire

– Simple and easy to navigate user interface

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– Unlimited Screen Size with Apple TV or Direct HDMI Contact

Visit https://www.SpotlightText.com to learn more about the application and for help signing up for Bookshare.

Focus Reading Technology is dedicated to the belief that through superior product design incorporating cutting edge user interface technology and access to e-content, visual and print disabilities can be addressed and overcome, and the joy of reading restored.