VisuAide Trekker 2.0 GPS Navigation for Visually Challenged

For information on the exact location with streets and routes VisuAide developed the Trekker. VisuAide Trekker 2.0 is a GPS navigation system which was developed especially for people with a visual impairment. The iPAQ Pocket PC is fitted with WindowsCE, talking maps, menus and GPS information. With the Trekker 2.0, the visually impaired have a whole new way to get their bearings.

Canadian VisuAide introduced this Trekker 2.0 at the CSUN Conference 2004 in Los Angeles. It includes features allowing blind persons to know their exact position, create itineraries and receive information while traveling to a destination on foot or in a vehicle. Trekker also offers a search feature for a database of points of interest such as restaurants, hotels, office buildings, etc.
 
The Trekker 2.0 is equipped with speech technology and weighs 21 ounce. The Global Positioning System (GPS) can locate streets and find addresses. The maps for Canada and the USA are supported by speech technology.
 
Trekker 2.0 introduced new features:

• Motorized Mode (for use in a moving vehicle)
  Operating until now only in pedestrian mode, Trekker 2.0 can now be used in a moving vehicle. This allows the user to access information while traveling by taxi or bus, to know in advance intersections to be crossed, when a destination is approaching and what route the driver is following.
• Route Mode (Trekker gives an itinerary from point A to point B.)
  Trekker can now provide an itinerary for traveling to a precise location by simply entering the addresses of the departure point and destination. It’s also possible to consult the provided itinerary in Browsing Offline mode to learn the total distance of the route or a route segment.
• Free Mode (to receive and enter information in a non-covered zone)
  This feature allows reception and entry of information when away from street networks, such as parks, sporting areas, parking lots, university campuses, etc. The user can create points of interest, for instance, and find out the main thoroughfares surrounding.