Better traffic information for the blind

  • From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 10:31:24 -0400

The Norway Post, Norway
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Better traffic information for the blind

By Rolleiv Solholm

The Norwegian Highway Department and the SINTEF research Group are hoping to 
introduce a new real time traffic information system for the blind and sight 
impared.

Tests have already been carried out in cooperation with the Association for the 
Blind. 

The AKTA system is based on information via the mobile phone and the GPS 
system. 

The buses must have a GPS based computer which keeps track of where the vehicle 
is at any given time, regardless of the official time schedule. 

This system communicates with the blind person's mobile phone, which will give 
a spoken message when the bus is approaching the stop where he or she is 
waiting. 

On the bus, the GPS will communicate to the passenger when the bus is 
approaching the desired stop, which has been pre-set before the trip began. 

The system will also inform the driver that a passenger wants to get off at the 
stop. 

This will give the sight impared easier access to public transport and at the 
same time help ensure that he or she doeas not get off at the wrong stop. 

So far the tests have been carried out on the long distance route between 
Kristiansund and Aalesund, but the aim is to introduce the system nationwide. 

(VG/SINTEF) 09.10.2007 06:10


http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=106873
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