Hi,

Have a self-contained gps system with good maps to utilize would be
effective enough in the beginning so long as you can keep the costs down.
All the other "fancy" stuff ads much to the cost without so much benefits.
What we need is 1. a good system with GPS and good maps built in and a good
way to update the maps, 2. a low cost, and 3. good mobility training.  I was
fortunate enough to have both good mobility training and a mother who would
kick me outsidejust like all the other kids.

Once radar, sonar, lasar, or nutrino/takkion reception becomes good enough
and cheap enough to incorporate without a large cost, we can consider the
best way of posibly doing so.  Until then, remember that blind/visually
impaired people tend to live on fixed incomes which are far below the norm
for everyone else.  Design something for the sighted which is accessible for
the blind and lowcost and the blind will buy it.  The prove this again and
again.

Make it so complicated and expensive that government agencies are the only
ones who can afford it and not very many people who really need it will ever
be able to have it.

If you want to invest time/effort/money in to a project which appears to
meet those criteria, contact me off list and I will discuss more details.  I
can be reached at 415-515-7728 or email at [log in to unmask]

David Chittenden

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Meijer" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 12:40 AM
Subject: Re: university of Florida Research Project:


> Hi Tom and all,
>
> Yes, the cost of adapting the infrastructure and maintaining
> the databases is what crossed my mind too. Given the rational
> arguments that you expressed (after filtering for venting <g>),
> what would you consider the best directions for research in
> order to make a dent?
>
> Would a more self-contained system that does not depend on a
> very detailed geographic database work any better, such as
> having "only" regular GPS (as used also by the sighted) plus
> local obstacle detection via camera/sonar sensory feedback
> to deal with "changing local conditions"? Any other ideas or
> suggestions?
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Peter Meijer
>
>
> Seeing with Sound - The vOICe
> http://www.seeingwithsound.com/winvoice.htm
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html