Wayfindr
Empower vision impaired people to navigate the world independently
Emerging indoor navigation technologies hold the key to a revolution in independent navigation for blind and partially sighted people. In order to achieve the greatest impact globally, we need to develop a consistent standard across wayfinding systems. This will truly open up a world where vision impaired people are no longer held back by their sight loss, removing barriers to employment, to meeting friends and family and engaging in their community. Called Wayfindr, the mobile app locates the user’s location within a subway station by picking up signals emitted from bluetooth “beacons” that have been strategically placed throughout. The signals prompt the app to provide spoken instructions that tell users which station they’re entering, for example, how many steps a particular staircase has, and which trains are to their right and left. The app even issues an alert when users approach the end of an escalator.