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A test round EyeBeacons in practice: 'we put the test to the sum .....'

11-11-2019

A life without navigation apps is almost unthinkable. But how do you get from A to B if you are blind or visually impaired? Joey van der Bie from the Digital Life research group developed an app that guides you in the right direction and provides information about obstacles along the way. Editor Kyrie Stuij from the study magazine HvanA put it to the test.

Research shows that the lack of technological aids prevents people with a visual impairment from going outside. Interested organizations therefore saw potential in a navigation app for this group. Such apps already exist, but they don't work optimally in practice. And that is exactly what the EyeBeacons app excels. The researchers have analyzed the information that you can provide about a route and tested it for relevance.

It is time for the test round for Kyrie: she will receive a guide stick and special glasses, one half of which offers a view through a tiny hole and the other half is blurred. 'How intense this is', she thinks when she is down the stairs. The sound of the cars passing by sounds louder than normal, and on the sidewalk she feels like she's getting in her way. The smartwatch on her wrist vibrates to announce a message. Crossing the road seems like an impossible task. Because the pedestrian crossing over the cycle path does not have a rattle ticker, she has no idea when she can continue safely. 'In hope of blessing', she says, convinced of the idea that every cyclist riding through red should experience this like her.

In the meantime, Kyrie is starting to get used to navigating on the basis of spoken text. The app tells her when to turn, but also when there is a guide line or a water gutter, so that she can move her guide stick to it. The app even warns of low-hanging plants or posts on the sidewalk.

Alltogether, it turned out to have been a very instructive experience: 'I never thought about the fact that there is a group that has a lot more trouble navigating. People for whom the route to the supermarket alone is a true adventure!' The EyeBeacons app have passed the test successfully!

See for the whole article (in Dutch) this link.