29 Oct 2016

Finding your way: indoor navigation for the blind

From This Way Up, 12:15 pm on 29 October 2016
BlindSquare

BlindSquare Photo: (Supplied)

A short trip to the shops or a cafe can be a major challenge if you are blind or visually impaired. 

BlindSquare is a navigation app that uses a combination of GPS and Bluetooth to help people navigate both outside and inside buildings and shopping centres where GPS doesn't work. 

Wellington has become the first place in the world to introduce BlindSquare on a large scale to a city, with more than 200 beacons beaming spoken directions to user's smartphones.

"BlindSquare provides the shopper who is blind the ability to navigate, with confidence, from their home, to the bus, to the CBD, to explore the shops, and to return safely with information that exists beyond the tip of their cane." Rob Nevin of BlindSquare