At this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt NY hackathon, one team presented BackMap, a haptic feedback system which helps visually impaired people to navigate cities and venues. It is assisted by a Raspberry Pi and integrated into a backpack.
GOOD VIBRATIONS WITH BACKMAP
The team, including Shashank Sharma, wrote an iOS phone app in Swift, Apple’s open-source programming language. To convert between addresses and geolocations, they used the Esri APIs offered by PubNub. So far, so standard. However, they then configured their BackMap setup so that the user can input their destination via the app, and then follow the route without having to look at a screen or listen to directions. Instead, vibrating motors have been integrated into the straps of a backpack and hooked up to a Raspberry Pi. Whenever the user needs to turn left or right, the Pi makes the respective motor vibrate.
BackMap can also be adapted for indoor navigation by receiving signals from beacons. This could be used to direct users to toilet facilities or exhibition booths at conferences. The team hopes to upgrade the BackMap device to use a wristband format in the future.
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Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!