Wayfinding Phone Apps

The common white stick cane could be cast aside if this linear navigation app becomes widely available. Designed to help guide the visually impaired through interior environments, the software can recognize corners and stairs and even QR codes applied to the floor.

Essentially, the blind user could angle his smartphone camera towards the floor, which would register prominent lines of tape that would have had to be applied throughout rooms and hallways. This would be the low-tech solution; however, MIT researchers have suggested laying down infrared paths that are invisible to the eye, but perceptible to gadgets. As the person walks along, the ARIANNA app vibrates the handset to notify him that he's stepping on the right track. If codes would be present, the mobile device would read information about indicated water fountains and washrooms, communicating with the user primarily through touch.