Utah State University Invents New Wayfinder for the Blind

Computer scientists at Utah State University have created new technology that helps visually impaired students find their way around campus and feel more independent.

The newly constructed “Way Finder” combines four location technologies into one unit. John Nicholson, a graduate student in the computer science department, said individually the four technologies — a wireless network, pedometer, Global Positioning System and digital compass — have weaknesses, but together they form a device that can navigate a visually impaired student anywhere on campus.
 
“All the things individually have their quirks, but with sensor fusion, we start to look at them as a whole,” Said Nicholson. In an effort to strengthen the GPS guidance, the team, under the direction of USU associate professor Vladimir Kulyyukin, installed a wireless, or Wi-Fi, system to link individual laptops to the university computer network. Using the Wi-Fi access points available in most of USU’s buildings, it was an easy and cheap way to determine positions in buildings, Nicholson said.
 
The unit is not intended to replace a guide dog or a cane, Nicholson said, but instead is meant to complement those methods. He said combining the two will provide a visually impaired person with a lot more flexibility and independence.
 
The limitation of the Way Finder is that the units are specialized for an area. Units are programmed with a series of locations that the user can punch into the keypad to get directions from one place to another. For example, he said, if the person is at Old Main and wants to go the Merrill Library, all they would have to do is follow the prompts for directions.
 
Continue to read the story on the Logan Herald Journal, Utah