Device guides blind students around Utah University campus

Students at Utah State University have created the “Way Finder", which combines four location technologies into one unit. A wireless network, Pedometer, Global Positioning System and Digital Compass together form a device that can help a visually impaired student find their way anywhere on campus. These four technologies have their limitations individually but with sensor fusion they work as a unit.

GPS guidance is installed with Wi-Fi, system (wireless) to link individual laptops to the university computer network. The pedometer helps to count the average steps of a man or woman, and a digital compass indicates the direction in which the user is moving.

Sachin Pavithran, a visually impaired graduate student said Way Finder was an exciting program that could help visually impaired people. He said there were many different devices in the market designed to help impaired individuals get around, but nothing else combined so many technologies.

The Way Finder is not intended to replace a cane or a dog, but to complement them. They will give visually impaired people more flexibility and independence.

However the device does have limitations, for example the units are individually specialised for a specific area. That means that for practical purposes they will be limited to local use.