Blind and visually impaired people are among the most disadvantaged groups affected by the current lack of navigation solutions in public buildings. One of the most serious aspects of visual impairment is the dependence from sighted persons. Most blind people rely on the traditional long stick to detect obstacles. However, this does not solve the problem of orientation in large and complex buildings. An absolutely precise indoor navigation solution for smartphones, which most blind people possess and use, could improve the overall quality of life of visually impaired people without any cost and effort for them.
The ASSIST² project
Together with the project partners Telocate GmbH and the University of Freiburg, contagt researches on a solution for this problem. In the ASSIST² project, a novel and highly accurate indoor positioning technology is combined with a user interface optimized for the blind. The resulting app will allow blind and visually impaired to move inside buildings on their own. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
In this blog we will report regularly on the progress of the project. Stay tuned!
