PROPOSAL FOR Waste Load Allocation Term Project



Design of a Non-Visually Accessible Campus Mapping/Database Interface

EGR 410D

Engineering Senior Design Clinic

Submitted to

Professor Howe

SMITH ENGINEERING FACULTY

Picker Engineering Program

51 College Lane

Northampton, MA 01063

Submitted by

Team Reach

Jessica McCartney

Jie Zheng

Monica Marinescu

Xiaoning Xu

Starting DATE: September 17, 2004

Proposed Duration: 1 Academic Year

Abstract

The objective of this project is to develop a GPS/GIS (Global Positioning System and Geographic Information System), voice activated, handheld navigation device for visually impaired students at Smith College. It will be the first product to address the needs of this user group on Smith Campus, in an attempt to help increase their mobility. The two main components of the design project will be research and product development. We intend to have a schematic design by the end of the first semester. Then we will focus on constructing and testing the device to develop it into a working prototype by the end of the 2004-2005 school year. We will monitor our progress through weekly team meetings and deliverables that will be submitted to Professor Howe and our technical liaisons, Jon Caris and Professor Fagg at set deadlines. This product should improve the every day life of visually impaired students currently at Smith and attract a greater number of visually impaired students to Smith in the future. The same product once developed could be adapted for usage outside the boundaries of the Smith campus.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction 4

2 Motivation 4

3 Scope 4

4 Project Description 5

5 Technical Background 6

5.1 GPS 6

5.2 GIS 6

5.3 Voice Interface 7

6 Design Process 8

6.1 Research 8

6.2 Product Development 9

7 Challenges and Restrictions 10

8 Project Monitoring 10

9 Progress 11

10 Schedule for project completion 12

11 Personnel 12

12 Budget 13

13 Patent Research 13

Appendix A: Project Timeline 14

Appendix B: Gantt Chart 18

Appendix C: Team Charter 20

Appendix D: Flowchart of Interactive Menu 21

Appendix E: Simulated Navigation 10/2/2004 by Jie Zheng and Xiaoning Xu 22

Appendix F : Preliminary Budget Sheet 23

1 Introduction

Currently, there is no navigation system available for the visually impaired students on Smith Campus. The overall objective of this project is to research and design a mobile, handheld apparatus that incorporates GPS (Global Positioning System) and GIS (Geographic Information Sytems) technologies as well as a self-voicing application to aid on-campus navigation for visually impaired students. The apparatus will use existing resources on campus, including the geographic information database and the GPS base station. The student design team will need to focus first on research and then product development, which we will further address in the Design Process. The goal of the team is to build a working prototype by April 2005. The result of this project should significantly improve the life quality of visually impaired students at Smith College.

2 Motivation

On-campus mobility has been an ongoing problem for Tasha Chemel, a visually impaired Smith student. In 2003, Tasha approached the director of the Smith College Spatial Analysis Lab, Jon Caris, to inquire about the possibility of using existing technologies to create an interactive campus map for her. The idea was passed on to the Smith Engineering Department via Jessica McCartney, currently a senior student, who in Spring 2004 applied for entrepreneurial track funding to develop a product that addresses this issue. An entrepreneurial project does not have a corporate sponsor, but is instead proposed and monitored by students. The department accepted her idea as the entrepreneurial project for the year and as one of the senior design projects for the 2004-05 school year. As an entrepreneurial project, the venture is funded by the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, an organization that sponsors college groups to foster the spirit of innovation in higher education.

3 Scope

The scope of our project is limited to the Smith campus. This is in part due to the extensive campus geographic information database and the easy availability of the campus GPS base station. The underlying prerequisites for the system include a GPS broadcasting base station, an up-to-date GIS database, and the user’s basic familiarity with the area that she or he navigates. The purpose of the product is not to replace current technologies used by the visually impaired population. It should instead play a supplementary role to these technologies by broadening their scope and reducing the problems associated with current equipment without voice-activated interfaces. Since some current technologies require that the user inputs commands through a Braille keypad, they are less portable, more time-consuming, and less convenient than our hands-free, eyes-free device. With these benefits in mind, the product is likely to be adopted for institutional usage, such as by schools, large companies with many visually impaired employees, and communities with large visually impaired populations. Visually impaired people who live in households (i.e., excluding the institutionalized and the homeless) will not be readily benefited by this technology. Considering the targeted users mentioned above, we will ensure that our device can be expanded beyond its initial scope. Once the design has been proven successful for efficient navigation inside the boundaries of the Smith College campus, it will be possible to expand the database and incorporate the larger area of Northampton or even Hampshire County. The portable navigation system would then be available and useful to all visually impaired people in the community. This project will combine entrepreneurial spirit and technical expertise to produce a final product that benefits society.

4 Project Description

Our goal for this project is to design and build a portable GPS/GIS, voice-enabled navigational device for visually impaired students at Smith College. Essentially, the product will be a handheld computer that uses GPS signals and information from GIS databases for positioning and determination of paths for various destination points. It will also provide interactive guidance through outputting audio information and inputting voice commands from the user. A more detailed description of these components is provided below in the Technical Background section. Our product will contain the following features:

• Microprocessor – The computer’s central processing unit on a single chip

• Operating System – System software responsible for the control and management of hardware and basic system operations

• ROM (read-only memory) – Permanent memory

• RAM (random access memory) – Memory that can be accessed in any order

• GPS receiver and antennae – The unit that receives and processes the latitude and longitude values of position

• Batteries – Part that provides DC voltage to power the computer

• Voice-recognition software – Software that recognizes verbal commands and provides audio information

• Other software – Software necessary to implement different functions for the device

• Microphone – Audio input device

• Speaker – Audio output device

• USB 2.0 port – Interface that allows transfer of data between a computer and the device

• Synchronizing utility software – Software that allows transfer of data between a computer and the device

• Wi-Fi (wireless port) – Port that allows wireless internet connection

• Buttons – Clickable objects that signify the selection of a command

Optional Features:

• Pedometer – A device that counts steps

• Density-detector – A device that detects the density of surrounding objects

The process and justification for choosing these features is explained in the Design Process section.

5 Technical Background

5.1 GPS

The United States GPS (or Global Positioning System) had its origin in the military. In fact, the NAVSTAR (NAVigation Satellite Tracking And Ranging) system currently in use is based on a combination of Navy and Air Force radio positioning systems.1 There is a governing board set up to hold responsibility over the system that is now commonly known as GPS and maintain it for military and civilian use. The board is known as the Interagency GPS Executive Board (or IGEB). The system provides coverage for the entire planet and is used internationally.

Every GPS is based on signals received from a given number of satellites in staggered orbits that can provide positioning coverage over the globe. As of 1991, the NAVSTAR system used 28 satellites.[1] In 1995, the number of satellites had decreased to 24.[2] Each satellite broadcasts signals on radio bands reserved for that purpose. The signals are then picked up by users on the ground. Since the position of the satellites in orbit is known, the distance of the user from the satellite can be calculated based on the formula, distance = rate ∙ time, where the rate of the signal and its travel time are known variables. The travel time is calculated by a time-matched signal; one of the signals broadcasted by the satellite is an accurate statement of the time at signal departure, and the travel time is then calculated as the time of arrival minus the time of departure. If at least four satellites are in range, the user’s position can be calculated by the GPS with high accuracy, often within a few meters. If differential correction is used as in Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), location accuracy can increase significantly. Differential correction involves a base station broadcasting correction signals, which give the errors for all receivers in that region. Because of the precisely known location of the base stations, the accuracy of DGPS is much higher than that of GPS. Smith College has a base station that can be used to broadcast a differential correction signal.

5.2 GIS

A GIS (or Geographic Information System) is a system based on organizing geographic information into layers and projecting them in an easily manipulated map form. A GIS is often used in conjunction with a GPS to collect data. The GPS receiver is used to mark accurately located points, which are then transferred into GIS layers with added information. It is possible to link points, polygons, lines, and even 3-D structures on a GIS map with a database containing information about those map features. The database can contain information ranging from land values to the purpose of college buildings (See Figure 1). If a GIS layer contains more than one type of information for map features, the display options can be changed to show different types of information. For example, a set of building outlines on a college could be color-coded based on their function (i.e., academic, residential, etc.) or displayed with a gradient color scale based on the date of construction (i.e., darkest color = oldest building). GIS is used in a wide variety of applications, from tracking wildlife migrations to examining streambeds or even planning new city walkways.

[pic]

Figure 1: Sample ArcGIS map

5.3 Voice Interface

In order to improve the portability of our system, we plan to integrate voice-activated software, which would recognize verbal commands and provide audio information to the user. Thus, the handheld device would not need a Braille keypad. Introducing a voice interface into the system could be accomplished in two ways. A commercially available GPS system for the visually impaired could be made compatible with the campus GIS database. Since we have not found such a system yet, we might need to design a voice interface platform ourselves. This would include procuring the acoustic models and dictionary from a vendor, and supplementing the latter with the feature names included in the campus database. Furthermore, we would need to design the grammar of the system ourselves, most probably using rule-based grammar. It would then be a matter of later improvement to the system, changing it to a statistical language model (SLM) that would allow the user to employ a more natural language and free-form speech. Such a statistical system is based on the analysis of a great number of spoken speech examples that are fed as data into the system. It then computes the probability of each word occurring in a given context (i.e., the probability of a particular word occurring after the last two words spoken). This allows the caller to have a greater flexibility in the way they word their requests.

6 Design Process

6.1 Research

The design process consists of two main parts: research and product development. Under research, the various subject areas we will explore are GPS, GIS, patents, market research, hardware and software. These areas of research have been allocated to team members as follows: GPS (Jessica and Monica), GIS (Jessica and Xiaoning), patents (Xiaoning), market research (Xiaoning and Jie), hardware (Jie and Xiaoning) and software (Monica).

The sub-level tasks within each research area will now be discussed in more detail. In GPS research, Jessica and Monica are first getting familiarized with using the Trimble XT Explorer GPS Receiver between 9/30 and 10/14. They conducted campus coverage testing using the Trimble XT Explorer on 10/2. Next semester, Jessica and Monica will work on the base station receiver by setting up the differential corrections signal (2/7) and completing periodic checkups of the system. The latter task will involve checking base station website reports and ensuring that the GPS receivers are functioning.

Concerning the GIS database, Jessica will work on adapting the Smith current map to the needs of our project until 10/16 and will periodically update the existing database, ensuring that the present GIS files are current. This will be done by comparing the maps in the database to our knowledge of the campus and by checking the last modification dates of the files. She will add the needed reference points to the GIS files on 10/11. Furthermore, the GIS and CAD files have to be made compatible. She will do so by obtaining the most current CAD files form Physical Plant (11/8 – 11/22), convert them to GIS, and reformat them until the end of November.

Xiaoning will be responsible for the patent research with respect to this project. During the first week of December, she will search for dominant patents and review the process for filling for a patent by identifying the patentable parts of our device and how to expand the patentability scope.

Both Jie and Xiaoning will be working on market research all throughout the month of October. Xiaoning is currently identifying the potential market and estimating the cost to the supply side by considering both the theoretical end users and the actual reachable users. She and Jie will continue to search for handheld devices similar to our system, both for non-visually impaired as well as for visually impaired people. It is important to research and understand the functions of both these systems (10/12 – 10/19) and to research the possibility of upgrading an existent navigational handheld device for non-visually impaired people to a device for the visually impaired. The following week (10/20 – 10/27), they will compare the results that should determine user and system needs that had not been previously met. At the end of the month, Xiaoning will search the market for complementary devices used by the visually impaired, and evaluate the compatibility to our device and its marginal benefit.

The hardware research will be done by all team members. Jessica and Jie will continue to do the background reading on hardware components for GPS/GIS-enabled handhelds (i.e., consult technical datasheets for the different components and compare them in the interval between 10/4 and 10/17). At the same time, Jie will be investigating the wireless internet connection on campus, searching for signal boosters and finding hotspots. Jie, Monica, and Xiaoning will search for GPS receivers currently available on the market and compare them between 10/12 and 10/25. They will later investigate the individual hardware components, compare them (11/15 – 12/1) and choose the more appropriate one (12/1 – 12/12). At least one GPS/GIS-enabled handheld device will be purchased and taken apart by the entire team during the first two weeks in November. Its individual components will be identified and examined, as well as the way they are connected and packaged.

Monica will be researching the existing voice-enabled software and its compatibility to our device. The background reading will be completed on 10/18, so that the first half of November can be spent on researching the compatibility of this software with the hardware, operating system, and other software included in our design. She will further consider choosing between integrating software and converting an already existing one. The last half of October, she will spend on analyzing the existing software, and then she will go on choosing the software to be used by the system and familiarizing herself and the other team members with programming the chosen software. In case the team decides to convert commercially available software, this will be a group work done between 11/08 and 12/07.

6.2 Product Development

Under product development, the seven major tasks are assessing user needs, preparing a schematic design, conducting a cost and benefit analysis, purchasing parts, constructing and testing, integrating hardware with software, troubleshooting, constructing the prototype, and evaluating the prototype. We divided each major task into sub-tasks, which are explained below.

Assessing user needs consists of evaluating specific and general user needs. The former task involves interviewing Tasha and other visually impaired individuals, which all team members will accomplish throughout the school year. The latter task involves interviews with the Office of Disability Services, as well as with various institutes and associations for the visually impaired, which all team members will pursue throughout the academic year. Preparing a schematic design comprises hardware circuitry design and packaging design. All team members will work to complete these tasks during the following dates: 11/15 – 11/30 and 12/1 – 12/8. Xiaoning will work on cost and benefit analysis by estimating costs for physical equipment and communication. She will identify the fixed cost and set a range for the variable cost during 11/18 – 12/3. She will also estimate costs for communication during this time. Other team members will assist her as necessary.

The general categories of parts to be purchased include a used GPS/GIS device from Ebay to be deconstructed (10/12 – 10/26), various software and hardware. Monica will buy voice-enabled software (11/30 – 12/7) and together with Jessie an ArcGIS license. All team members will contribute to the purchasing of the following hardware components: microprocessor and operating system, ROM, RAM, mic/speaker, power supply, batteries, GPS receiver and antennae, buttons, circuit board, USB interface chip, Wi-Fi-enabled port, connectors, and wires. We will place the orders for these hardware components after Winter Break and J-term from 1/31 to 2/7.

Construction and testing follows purchasing parts. This stage will continue to be an all-team effort. We will first check the functionality of individual components as compared with datasheet specifications between 2/14 and 3/1. Also during this time, we will connect RAM, ROM and power supply to the microprocessor on a breadboard circuit and test their functionality. Next, we will attach the GPS receiver to this system and test functionality (3/2 – 3/16). Also during this time, we will attach the USB interface chip, mic/speaker, Wi-Fi enabled port as well as buttons and test the functionality of each.

Integrating hardware with software is the next task. Team members will install the Operating System during 3/21 – 4/4. During 3/28 – 4/11, team members will install and test GPS software, ArcGIS software and voice-enabled software. Troubleshooting will occur at every stage of construction, testing and integration. After we resolve various problems through troubleshooting, we will begin the construction of the prototype. Jie will design a PCB Board using Protel during 3/21 – 3/28. She will send out the design to be manufactured 3/28. All team members will help rebuild the circuit on the PCB from 4/4 – 4/8. We will build the outer covering for this device from 3/21 – 4/4. We will combine all the parts during 4/8 – 4/22. The last task of evaluation consists of developing a survey or critique as a method of assessment for the device (4/12 – 4/22) and completing user testing with this survey/critique (4/12 – 4/22).

7 Challenges and Restrictions

Possible challenges of the project include the unpredictable amounts of time required for prototype design and the trial-and-error nature of developing a new product. Another difficulty lies in properly understanding the needs of the system users before starting the design process. To account for these challenges, the team will strive to remain aware of time constraints and conduct thorough background research in a timely manner to allow more time for the design phase. To help understand the needs of the potential users, the team will survey them to identify their current difficulties when navigating on campus. Further constraints for our design include size, weight, and cost, which will be further reviewed during the hardware research.

In dealing with voice-activated software, we will also have recognize the challenges that communicating with a user through transient messages implies; the user should be able to establish the pace of the interaction and review the system’s output at his or her convenience. Another constraint to be considered is the noise caused by the inherent outdoor functioning conditions of the system. We would have to ensure that the environmental noise would not interfere with the voice recognition process.

8 Project Monitoring

The team’s progress will be self-monitored throughout the project. Due to the entrepreneurial nature of this project, the progress evaluators will be the students themselves. The liaisons will also aid in evaluating progress, but to a lesser degree. The team has laid out a timeline containing project tasks and deliverables with corresponding deadlines (See Appendix A, note: Letters at extreme left stand for initials of team members assigned to specific tasks and “All” represents the entire team). The team’s task list will be reviewed weekly, and the liaisons will be consulted once a week to ensure that the team is staying on track and following the objectives of the project. In the event that the team falls behind on any objectives, optional team meeting time is included in the meeting schedule to provide for catch-up time (See Appendix A for meeting times).

9 Progress

We will now discuss progress made on the tasks listed above. Team members met with both Tasha (9/26) and Laura Rauscher, the Director of the Office of Disability Services (10/1). We asked questions to learn more about the services available to visually impaired students at Smith and in the process, assessed some user needs. Jessie and Monica conducted GPS campus coverage testing by walking around campus using the SAL Trimble Receiver to chart areas of coverage and non-coverage on 10/2. They determined that coverage was quite comprehensive except at a few building entrances. They charted only the central and lower Elm campus areas, where a higher concentration of academic buildings and residential houses exists.

Jie and Xiaoning conducted testing on the effectiveness of an interactive menu they developed through simulation of the user/machine communication on 10/2 (See Appendix D for interactive menu). One person acting as the user was blindfolded and given a guiding stick, while the other acted as the machine and recited the menu. Two routes were chosen and used during testing: Sage Hall to the Campus Center and the Campus Center to Hubbard House. Their main findings include determining that a pedometer and density detector may be necessary and that GIS databases must be updated with guiding landmarks. A more detailed description of their testing procedure and findings is shown in Appendix E.

We have also made some decisions on which hardware components to include in our design and determined what factors need to be considered in making the final decision on which part to choose. After researching possible interfaces and hardware components for our device, Jie decided that some parts should definitely be included for the system to function while others should be eliminated due to a lack of purpose in our system. Some other parts need to be further investigated and discussed to decide whether to include them in our design. Since the product we plan to develop is essentially a handheld, pocket-sized portable computer, we decided to model its hardware design on that of a computer. We examined the essential features of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), which are small computer organizers, to determine the hardware and software design of our device. The major features of a PDA consist of the following:

• a microprocessor

• an operating system

• memory

• batteries

• LCD display

• input devices (i.e., keyboard, buttons, touch-screen and stylus pen)

• input/output ports (I/O ports, i.e., USB, RS232)

• various software

Also on 10/2, Jie chose the USB 2.0 port as the one essential I/O port, since all desktops and notebooks are currently built with such ports. She decided to eliminate the infrared- or Bluetooth-enabled components because not all computers automatically have such capabilities. In fact, one often has to purchase a USB-connection adapter for the computer to be able to connect to the device. These two interfaces would not contribute to the system and are unnecessary. As our device will be used by the visually impaired, the LCD display component, the stylus accessory, and handwriting recognition software will not be necessary. We would like to maintain the simplest design feasible that satisfies our user needs in order to decrease the chances of complications in the construction and testing phases.

Performance, speed, cost and size will be the deciding factors in choosing a microprocessor. The two major operation systems for PDAs are PalmOS and PocketPC (a.k.a. Windows CE Microsoft), where the former uses less memory space and is easier to use. The price, capabilities and usability will be the main factors in deciding on an operating system, although Tasha has already encouraged us to use PocketPC. Unlike PCs, PDAs do not have hard drives, and essential programs are stored in a ROM chip. Data and extra software are stored in RAM. The two main kinds of RAM to be considered are Static RAM and Flash, which will be examined and compared. A GPS receiver and antennae are necessary so that our device is GPS-enabled. Size, cost, performance, and placement in or on the device will be considered in choosing these components.

For the power supply, using re-chargeable batteries (i.e., lithium, nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride) is a better option than using disposable primary cells like alkaline batteries for cost, convenience and environmental factors. An AC-adapter connection should also be included in our design. Voice-recognition software will serve as an essential feature of our device, as was described above Technical Background. Including an I/O port is important so that data can be transferred from a desktop or notebook to the device and vice versa. Possible uses may include software updates (desktop to device) or storing a programmed path (device to desktop). Synchronizing utility software is necessary for such transactions to take place. A wireless port will definitely be included in the design, as it will allow our device to access the GIS databases and communicate with the GPS base station. We will likely chose an integrated WLAN 802.11b, as Smith’s current wireless network only supports such data.

10 Schedule for project completion

(See Appendix A.)

11 Personnel

Team Reach consists of four team members: Jessica McCartney, Jie Zheng, Monica Marinescu and Xiaoning Xu.  Each group member will have her own responsibilities in contributing to the team. The team leader was elected to be Jie Zheng. The team roles of facilitator and recorder rotate each week based on an alphabetical name list. Project tasks will be assigned to different team members based on expertise as the year progresses. At this initial stage of the project, each team member has taken on a separate area of research. Jessica McCartney is conducting research in the area of GIS and GPS systems, Jie Zheng is researching the market for similar handheld computing devices as well as available hardware components for the system, Monica Marinescu is researching voice-activated software as well as GPS systems and available hardware, Xiaoning Xu is researching GIS databases and conducting market research. Some of the research areas are assigned to more than one person as they involve a broader topic area. Areas of team responsibility are outlined in the Team Charter, which was signed by each team member at the beginning of the academic year. See Team Charter in Appendix C.

12 Budget

The general budgetary constraints on this project are $2,000 for equipment and administrative costs and up to $1000 for travel costs, with a possibility of applying for additional funding if necessary. The four main budgetary areas will be hardware components for the prototype, software systems for the prototype, used equipment for research and product development, and administrative spending. Most of the team’s travel budget will go towards attending an NCIIA E-teams conference (Dynamic Learning: Changing Models for Changing Times) in San Diego, California over Spring Break (3/17-3/19). As the project is still in the research phase, all costs in the Budget Sheet are estimations. Actual costs have not yet been determined. Some additional funding may be reserved for team celebratory expenses or dinner meetings with liaisons. Please see Budget Sheet below (See Appendix F).

13 Patent Research

As part of the project, the team intends to file for a patent once the final design has been realized. A complete patent cycle includes disclosure, patentability search, patent application preparation, application amendment, examination, and finally obtaining the patent (See Figure 1). In order to file a claim, we must have a thorough review of the invention’s feasibility, and we must prove that it will work, at least in theory, and preferably from experiment.

Figure 2: Patent Process

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“Overview of the Patenting Process”

Thank you for your time and consideration in looking over our plans for this project. 

Sincerely,

Jessica McCartney, Jie Zheng,            Monica Marinescu, Xiaoning Xu

Appendix A: Project Timeline

|　 |　 |　 |　 |Project Timeline |　 |　 |

|JM | | | |1.2.2.1.2 Check the | | |

| | | | |last modifications | | |

| | | | |dates of files | | |

|XX,JZ | | | |1.4.1.1.1 Research functions | | |

|XX,JZ | | | |1.4.1.1.3 Compare results and determine needs that have not been met |20-Oct |27-Oct |

|　 | | |1.4.1.2 | | |　 |

| | | |Navigatio| | | |

| | | |nal, | | | |

| | | |handheld | | | |

| | | |devices | | | |

| | | |for the | | | |

| | | |visually | | | |

| | | |impaired | | | |

|　 | |1.4.2 Search for complementary devices (products the visually impaired use to aid themselves) |　 |　 |

|XX | | |1.4.2.1 | | | |

| | | |Evaluate| | | |

| | | |compatib| | | |

| | | |ility | | | |

|XX | | |1.4.3.1 Theoretical end users (all blind/visually impaired population in the U.S.) |4-Oct |8-Oct |

|XX | | |1.4.3.2 | |

| | | |Actual | |

| | | |reachable | |

| | | |users | |

|JZ, JM | | |1.5.1.1 Consult | | |

| | | |technical datasheets| | |

| | | |for components | | |

|All | | |1.5.3.1 Identify and examine individual components | | | |

|MM | | |1.6.2.2 Research voice-enabled software compatibility with operating system, other software |1-Nov |15-Nov |

|MM | | |1.6.2.3 Research between integrated software and convering software | |1-Nov |15-Nov |

|　 | | | |1.6.2.3.1 Integrated| | |

| | | | |software | | |

|　 |2.2 | | | |

| |Prepare| | | |

| |schemat| | | |

| |ic | | | |

| |design | | | |

|All | |2.5.3Con| | | |

| | |nect GPS| | | |

| | |receiver| | | |

| | |and test| | | |

| | |function| | | |

| | |aliy | | | |

|All | | |3.1.1.6 Cost and Benefit analysis and cost estimates | |

Turn On Device | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Synchronize National Atomic Clock | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Menu Options | |Path Finder | |Verify location. Announce current building, street or landmark as appropriate | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Ask user for the destination location | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Search database to see whether a pre-programmed path fits criteria | |Yes - State path/paths in database and ask user for preferred path if more than one exists | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |No – Communicate with route-finding algorithm at receiver base and determine best path, as defined by parameters of safety, reference points (i.e., landmarks, walls…) and distance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Path chosen. State characteristics of path to user for confirmation (I.e., path found from location A to location B. It is X meters long and will take about Y minutes. You will pass by X, Y and Z reference points) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |User begins on path | |Stays on Path (within 3 m) - State the names of various reference points between start and end locations (I.e., Now approaching, now passing...) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Strays off Path (>3m) - Alert sound 1 (stop) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Obstruction in pathway - Alert sound 2 (stop and be careful!) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Announce reached destination (I.e., You are now at Hubbard House) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |New path search or finished? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Date and Time | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Emergency | | | | | | |Appendix D: Flowchart of Interactive Menu

Appendix E: Simulated Navigation 10/2/2004 by Jie Zheng and Xiaoning Xu

A preliminary interactive menu system for navigation was developed for the handheld device (see Appendix X). Xiao-ning Xu and Jie Zheng participated in the system testing, in which one acted as the tester and the other as the simulated machine. The tester was blindfolded and given a stick to use as a guiding device, while the simulated machine was given the developed device menu consisting of directions. These roles were switched. The situation was not ideal for various reasons. The blind-folded tester was already familiar with the campus and had never been blind. The other tester emulating the machine sometimes extended beyond the limits of the developed flowchart and gave extra directions.

This system was tested for two chosen routes on campus: Sage Hall to the Campus Center, passing by Tyler House, McConnell, Sabin-Reed, Burton, Wright Hall and Chapin House; the Campus Center to Hubbard House, passing by JMG, Dewey, Hatfield, Neilson Library, Seelye Hall and Pierce Hall.

After the first test run, we identified issues that needed to be addressed in the system design. These include distinguishing temporary obstacles, choosing clear references points, considering weather effects on path conditions and avoiding paths with permanent obstacles or potential dangers. We also developed an orientation method consisting of the three angles, 45°, 90° and 180°, and the two directions, left and right. Through the second test run, we identified locations that may be ambiguous and determined the need for frequent reinforcement of the current location.

Based upon our findings, we need to complete the following tasks. Certain landmarks need to be updated into the GIS database such as representative fences, stone blocks, curbs and special pavement edges. These were chosen after the testing because they provide clear indications of orientation for the user. Contact Public Safety or Physical Plant to implement changes on the placement of temporary obstructions to reduce danger and also to be aware of landmark location modifications.

Appendix F : Preliminary Budget Sheet

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Appendix G: References

Cohen, Michael H., Giangola, James P., Balogh, Jennifer. Voice-Interface User Design. Boston: Pearson Education, 2004.

“Employment Statistics for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: U.S.”,

Freudenrich, Craig C. “How PDAs Work.”

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[1] Global Positioning Systems, A Field Guide for the Social Sciences

[2]

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