Guide in the dark: Unique navigation system allows blind to "dare more"

The Prague Post, Czech Republic
Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Guide in the dark: Unique navigation system allows blind to "dare more" 

By Victor Velek, Staff Writer

For a long time, the blind have not received many benefits from the rapid 
development of communication technology. Despite advanced navigation systems 
thriving worldwide, little research has been dedicated to their assistance, 
prompting continued reliance on long-standing aids: walking canes and guide 
dogs.But thanks to a unique navigational system for the blind developed at the 
Czech Technical University (ÈVUT) in Prague, the situation has 
changed.Combining a satellite-based GPS navigation system, mobile phone 
communications and a call center, blind people in the Czech Republic can now 
get immediate assistance whenever they lose orientation or experience 
unexpected health problems, says ÈVUT researcher Jiøí Chod, the gadget's 
creator."This system really widens blind people's horizons," says Zdenìk Bajtl, 
head of the technical department at Czech Blind United (SONS), an association 
supporting the blind countrywide. "With the device in your pocket, you dare 
more. It gives you 
 a firm belief that you cannot get lost." Bajtl, who is himself blind, stresses 
that the navigation system is not a replacement for guide dogs - it doesn't 
offer immediate help for unexpected obstacles like pavement reconstruction, for 
example."On the other hand, no dog will bring you to the National Library if it 
has never been there," he says. "This does. . It's a great boost to our 
freedom, self-confidence and independence."Pocket protectorThe navigation 
system is quite portable, consisting of a small black box containing a GPS 
receiver and antenna, a mobile phone modem and a flash drive for data 
storage.Once activated, the unit sends data on its position to the call center, 
which is equipped with an intelligent map system. If the user gets lost or 
needs some guidance, he or she can then ring the call center, based at SONS, 
and get help from one of the center's staff, Chod says.According to both Chod 
and Bajtl, the system is a unique solution unparalleled elsewhere in the 
 world. "In Spain they tested a similar system but they used automated 
navigation," Chod says. "We were also considering this option but eventually 
found the automated synthetic voice distracting and rather unhelpful."Another 
advantage of the ÈVUT system is its openness, based as it is on standard GPS 
and GSM technologies, Chod says. It's easily updated, with next-generation 
technology replacing outdated components. "It's an atypical application of 
standard technologies," he adds.Although the latest incarnation of the ÈVUT 
machine can fit in a pocket, the project's beginnings, in 2003, saw a much more 
cumbersome device."The GPS was so heavy and demanded so much power that you'd 
have to have one cart to carry the gadget and another to carry its batteries," 
Chod says with a smile.The project's next generation was less bulky but 
presented other problems, most notably from those reluctant to wear a prominent 
external antenna. "Blind people are sensitive about being conspicuous," 
 Chod says. "Some of them were reluctant to wear an alien-looking antenna on 
their clothes."Today, the device has an internal antenna, and the newest model 
will feature a camera that can transmit photos to the navigation center, so 
operators can give more detailed assistance, he adds.Call waitingCurrently, the 
navigation aid is used by about 35 blind people throughout the country; by the 
end of the year, that number should be 100, Chod says. And in the near future, 
it should be accessible to all."We hope that next year the device will be 
officially recognized as an orientation aid for the blind, making it eligible 
for state allowances," Bajtl says. Government subsidies will then cover the 
machine's costs, which run to 13,000 Kè ($680) for the latest and most advanced 
model.Access to the call center is also open to the visually impaired not on 
the system, as it offers additional services, Bajtl says. People can ask 
operators for transport information and detailed itineraries, 
 for example.Within the last several months, the center recorded about 350 
inquiries, according to Bajtl. Supported by the Vodafone Foundation, the center 
was launched at the beginning of this year: In September, Vodafone received the 
Via Bona award for its support of the project."This is the flagship of our 
foundation," says Inga Kaskelyte, executive director of the Vodafone 
Foundation. Vodafone has contributed 1.8 million Kè to the project and has 
earmarked further money for the blind. "It's a long-term project," she says. 
"And we will continue to support it in the future." 

Victor Velek can be reached at vvelek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 


http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2007/10/24/guide-in-the-dark.php
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