People who are blind can use iPhones as assistive technology. A new accessory can turn iPhones into a map for the blind. Relying on headphones may cause the user to miss auditory clues in the world around them. For example, if you’re wearing headphones, you may miss the car horn honking as you cross the street.
As part of a 36-hour project during an introductory course at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, three students created a prototype for Blind Maps. It’s an innovative smartphone accessory that works with a Braille-like interface to help the visually impaired safely find their way through a city.
This assistive device has a unique, perforated screen that you can hold in your hands. Pins moves based on the user’s location; it uses GPS, Google Maps and the iPhone’s built in accelerometer to detect your location. It’s constantly updated in real time; the pins raise and lower as you move. A guideline helps you sense how close you are to your destination. It shortens as you get closer. Road intersections are marked by a gap.