Human Augmentation Lab

A circular design resembling a glossy black camera lens with a blue and turquoise glow in the center, framed by a metallic silver border.

Developing NaviShare, a discreet, crowd-source powered navigation system designed for the visually impaired, offering hands-free indoor and outdoor wayfinding.

Team Size:
2
Location:
United States
Founders:
Paul Ruvolo, Sam Michalka
Program(s):

The Problem

People who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) often find navigation to be challenging and exhausting, which can decrease their independence and desire to make unfamiliar journeys. While several commercial navigation systems exist (e.g., Google Maps), these are not designed with the BVI community in mind; for example, they sometimes rely on visual landmarks and provide audio instructions with the assumption that the user is able to see. Some navigation solutions are specifically designed for people who are blind, but require obtrusive and expensive hardware or don't interface well with commonly used platforms. When these solutions are a phone app, they require the user to hold the phone out in front of them and move it around. This increase the risk of dropping the phone and can draw unwanted attention to the BVI person. Needing to hold the phone can also increase fatigue and make it difficult to carry other objects (especially for people who use a white cane or a guide dog).

The Solution

Our solution is called NaviShare: A Scalable, Discreet System for Accessible Indoor and Outdoor Wayfinding. The system we have developed consists of three main components: 1) an crowd-source powered iOS app for indoor and outdoor navigation and mapping, 2) a low-profile cross-body phone holder that allows the user to utilize our navigation app hands-free without looking conspicuous, and 3) a custom-made Bluetooth remote controller that allows a user to operate VoiceOver on their phone while the phone is in the cross-body holder. We are in the process of improving the app and potentially partnering with others in the same space. For this program, we would largely like to focus on the cross-body phone holder and remote controller aspect of the product, as this needs the most user validation and testing.