If you are visually impaired, then surely one of your best friends would be the walking stick – and a chocolate labrador by your side, of course. For those who feel that technology ought to deliver a whole lot more than what is currently available for the visually impaired, your long wait and frustration might be over, with the impending introduction of Navatar. Navatar is a new system that was developed by engineers over at the University of Nevada, where it relies on sensors within a smartphone in order to detect one’s real time progress within a map of a building, paving the way for natural navigation without costing a bomb. Wearing the kit might prove to be a bit of a challenge though as you can see above, making one feel like one has entered the scene of Typing of the Dead, wearing a Dreamcast at the back.
Navatar has very little needs, where it requires just a 3D map of the building, where the user will then input his or her starting point as well as destination. For example, “South entrance, going to room 243”, and the system will then process what instructions it has received before delivering turn-by-turn directions. While walking, Navatar does not remain idle, but will instead count each footstep made to the best of its ability while detecting changes in orientation so that it has a better idea on whether you are on track or not. It is said that the Navatar is accurate to within 6 feet.
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