Privateye electronic navigational aids for individuals with vision impairments

This research project will support the design of electronic navigational aids for enhancing mobility for individuals with vision impairments. The researchers will work closely with members from the vision-impaired community throughout the project period to understand the contexts where such aids could be helpful to them and to evaluate the usability of relevant components, products and services. The research framework will inform and support the business goals of the partner organization, Comimi Research Inc., Toronto, in the design and development of their proposed product, Privateye, as an effective electronic navigational aid technically, functionally and commercially. In designing Privateye, Comimi leverages on mobile phone, text-to-speech and GPS technologies. The project will support the design by researching current mobile devices and services that provide navigational facilities, assessing their usability by individuals with vision impairments and formulating a set of recommendations for the design of accessible electronic navigational aids.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Nadia Caidi

Student:

Sambhavi Chandrashekar

Partner:

Comimi Research Inc.

Discipline:

Journalism / Media studies and communication

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

University of Toronto