Sendero is pleased to announce our plan to sustain the navigation
technology developed with funding from ten federal grants and user input
over 19 years. Many of you have been on the journey with us to create
independent travel tools since 1999 and even earlier at Arkenstone. One
of our goals from the beginning was to make accessible navigation
affordable and ubiquitous. The next chapter in that evolution will be
with two organizations dedicated to independent travel, Aira and the
Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco.
Sendero is thrilled to announce that it is transferring its iOS mobile
navigation products to the company with the latest independent access to
information, Aira. Mike May says, âCharles LaPierre and I founded
Sendero in 1999 to provide ourselves and all blind people independent
access to location information. The challenge to do that is as relevant
today as it was 19 years ago. Accessible GPS in conjunction with Aira
and its AI assistant, Chloe, provide a synergistic solution to full
navigation access.â
We would also like to announce that the Lighthouse for the Blind in San
Francisco will take over the Sendero Maps and GPS product. Sendero CTO,
Charles LaPierre says, "I am thrilled that Sendero Maps and GPS products
will continue under the stewardship of Aira and the Lighthouse. In 1993,
when I developed the first accessible GPS back-pack prototype weighing
10 pounds, I said âin 10 years it will be the size of a Sony
Walkman(TM), which will fit in your handâ. I am honored that my
university project 25 years ago evolved into the âSwiss Army knife of
lifeâ smartphone version of today.â
Atlas Speaks from Arkenstone was the first accessible digital map
product in 1995. That turned into Sendero Maps and GPS, which the San
Francisco Lighthouse is taking over to complement its T-Maps tactile
maps product. There is no better way to learn a neighborhood than to
have the detail of digital maps and the geographic overview of a tactile
map.
Details of these product transitions will be forthcoming. All of your
products will continue to work the way you expect. The mobile apps are
slated for new features. All support inquiries can still be directed to
_iPhone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:iPhone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>_as before.
The Sendero Maps software will remain the same but will now be available
from the Lighthouse, which will also host the legacy BrailleNote and
Braille Sense software. Other aspects of this transition will be
announced by Aira and the Lighthouse as they come about.
Everyone from the Sendero Group team over the years thank all of you
worldwide for being on this amazing journey, from back-pack to iPhone,
from WayFun trips to conferences. Our motto from the beginning still
rings true, âIt is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.â
About Sendero
Developers of the first accessible GPS and talking map software. GPS
products "Powered by Sendero" software provide access to detailed street
and business location information. Sendero staff, most of whom are
visually impaired, know from personal and professional experience that
orientation and mobility skills and tools for blind folks are key to
enjoyment and success in all walks of life.
About Aira
Aira is a service that uses artificial intelligence and augmented
reality to connect blind and low-vision people to highly trained,
remotely-located agents. At the touch of a button, Aira delivers instant
access to information, enhancing everyday efficiency, engagement, and
independence.
To learn more, visit aira.io <https://aira.io>
About Lighthouse
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, LightHouse for the Blind and
Visually Impaired provides education, training, advocacy, and community
for blind individuals in California and around the world. Founded and
based in San Francisco since 1902, the LightHouse is one of the largest
and most established comprehensive blindness organizations in North
America, with a wide variety of programs to suit a wide variety of
needs, as well as a rich network of blindness advocates and professionals.
To learn more, visit Lighthouse <http://lighthouse-sf.org/>
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