It’s pretty well known at this point that GPS systems aren’t perfectly accurate. They can generally get you within about 30 feet of your destination. Not bad, as long as you can see. This creates an issue for the blind, however. Google is trying to find a solution for this.
To deal with this, Google posted a challenge; the Google Disability Challenge. There were a total of 30 winners with different goals. Google awarded $20 million in grants to these groups with amazing new ideas for helping the disabled.
There is one group that is working on 3D printing prosthetics. They could be made faster and cheaper. They could also more accurately fit the person as they could be crafted from a very detailed scan.
One group is creating software to help those on the Autism spectrum. They are creating software that allows people with autism to practice things like job interviews by interacting with digital people.
Another brilliant group is creating an open source device that will turn a regular wheelchair into a motorized one. This would make it much more affordable for people to get some sort of motorized transport.
A project called Click2Speak is being developed to help people type without using their hands.
As you can see, there are quite a few really exciting projects coming out of this challenge. One of the most interesting involves the earlier issue about the accuracy of GPS. The Perkins School for the Blind is working on an app called Waze for improving location accuracy of things like bus stops. Joann Becker who works for Perkins said this about finding bus stops while blind:
“Thirty feet makes all the difference between a bus moving right past me to actually stopping where it ought to,”
In order to improve the accuracy, the app is going to ask people that can see to input additional information like where exactly a bus stop bench or shelter is located. By providing this increased accuracy, it will make it easier for the blind to make use of public transport. There is also an incentive program planned so it’s kind of like a game. They are planning on offering things like discounts or maybe coffee for adding in information.
Image via Money.com.
