The Jordy device that I use came from NASA research done in the early 90s.
http://www.enhancedvision.com/jordy.htm
The NASA unit weighed 2 pouunds and had the camera, controls, and LCDs all in
the headset. You can see at the EVS web site, the technology has come a long
way and is much more compact and confortable to wear.
Later,
Steven
On Fri, 14 Feb 2003 23:08:29 +0530
Justin Philips <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
>------=_NextPart_000_00A4_01C2D381.5965C940
>Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
>
>By Dermot McGrath
>In Paris
>
>A new navigation tool to help blind and partially sighted people find =
>their
>way
>around city streets is about to be tested under a new European project.
>The handheld device uses advanced European Space Agency (Esa) satellite
>technology to locate and guide pedestrians in real-time over a wireless
>internet
>connection.
>It will be tested in coming weeks by volunteers from Once, Spain's =
>national
>organization for the blind.
>Current satellite navigation based on the global positioning system =
>(GPS)
>works
>fine for many location-based services, but lacks the precision needed =
>for
>detailed navigation along city streets.
>This is principally because tall buildings in urban areas, as well as =
>other
>obstacles like trees, impede the ability of receivers on the ground to
>track GPS
>satellites, resulting in a positioning accuracy that is often little =
>better
>than
>30 to 40 metres.
>Improved accuracy
>" It should allow the blind user to navigate using a map, just as a =
>sighted
>person can "
>Alfredo Catalina, GMV Sistemas
>
>To improve the accuracy of GPS positioning to a few meters, Europe is
>developing
>the Egnos system, which broadcasts augmentation signals through =
>geo-stationary
>satellites, enabling receivers on the ground to correct errors in GPS =
>signals.
>To get around the problem of buildings obscuring the Egnos signal, the
>European
>Space Agency created a complementary technology, known as SisNet, to =
>relay the
>signal in real-time over the internet using wireless networks.
>The new handheld system, developed by Spanish company GMV Sistemas, =
>makes
>use of
>this technology to improve the accuracy of GPS positions to a few =
>meters,
>making
>it sensitive enough to locate obstacles in the street.
>GMV Sistemas' personal navigator for the blind, called Tormes, includes =
>a
>Braille keyboard, a voice synthesizer and a GPS receiver.
>The latest version comes packed with an "always-on" GPRS wireless =
>internet
>connection, providing access to the SisNet services.
>Personal navigators
>" By connecting the world of navigation with the Internet, we are =
>opening up
>many new possibilities "
>Javier Ventura-Traveset, Esa
>
>All this hi-tech gadgetry gives users constant updates about their =
>location
>and
>tells them which road they are walking down, which buildings are near =
>them and
>when they are approaching a junction.
>"We think that the addition of SisNet to Tormes is very interesting," =
>says
>Alfredo Catalina who is overseeing the project at GMV. "It should allow =
>the
>blind user to navigate using a map, just as a sighted person can."
>The addition of an internet connection also has the potential to enhance =
>the
>function of personal navigators in other ways.
>"When you are connected to the internet you can also send messages =
>back,"
>explains Javier Ventura-Traveset from Esa.
>"You can ask for directions to a particular place or say that you are =
>lost or
>have had an accident. By connecting the world of navigation with the =
>internet,
>we are opening up many new possibilities."
>Tormes is expected to be ready to begin tests in early February.
>"We will do two tests, one with and one without the Egnos/SisNet =
>technology so
>that we can compare them," says Felix Toran-Marti from ESA.
>"Members of Once will be helping to define the tests and assess the
>performance
>of the technology."
>Egnos is the first element of the European satellite navigation strategy =
>and a
>major stepping-stone towards Galileo, Europe's own global satellite =
>navigation
>system for the future.
>Consisting of 30 satellites in medium-Earth orbit plus an associated
>network of
>ground stations, Galileo is expected to deliver an independent,
>civilian-controlled positioning service worldwide with metre-scale =
>accuracy.
>
>------=_NextPart_000_00A4_01C2D381.5965C940
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> charset="iso-8859-1"
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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><META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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><BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>By Dermot McGrath<BR>In =
>Paris</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A new navigation tool to help blind and =
>partially=20
>sighted people find their<BR>way<BR>around city streets is about to be =
>tested=20
>under a new European project.<BR>The handheld device uses advanced =
>European=20
>Space Agency (Esa) satellite<BR>technology to locate and guide =
>pedestrians in=20
>real-time over a wireless<BR>internet<BR>connection.<BR>It will be =
>tested in=20
>coming weeks by volunteers from Once, Spain's national<BR>organization =
>for the=20
>blind.<BR>Current satellite navigation based on the global positioning =
>system=20
>(GPS)<BR>works<BR>fine for many location-based services, but lacks the =
>precision=20
>needed for<BR>detailed navigation along city streets.<BR>This is =
>principally=20
>because tall buildings in urban areas, as well as other<BR>obstacles =
>like trees,=20
>impede the ability of receivers on the ground to<BR>track =
>GPS<BR>satellites,=20
>resulting in a positioning accuracy that is often little =
>better<BR>than<BR>30 to=20
>40 metres.<BR>Improved accuracy<BR>" It should allow the blind user to =
>navigate=20
>using a map, just as a sighted<BR>person can "<BR>Alfredo Catalina, GMV=20
>Sistemas</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>To improve the accuracy of GPS =
>positioning to a few=20
>meters, Europe is<BR>developing<BR>the Egnos system, which broadcasts=20
>augmentation signals through geo-stationary<BR>satellites, enabling =
>receivers on=20
>the ground to correct errors in GPS signals.<BR>To get around the =
>problem of=20
>buildings obscuring the Egnos signal, the<BR>European<BR>Space Agency =
>created a=20
>complementary technology, known as SisNet, to relay the<BR>signal in =
>real-time=20
>over the internet using wireless networks.<BR>The new handheld system, =
>developed=20
>by Spanish company GMV Sistemas, makes<BR>use of<BR>this technology to =
>improve=20
>the accuracy of GPS positions to a few meters,<BR>making<BR>it sensitive =
>enough=20
>to locate obstacles in the street.<BR>GMV Sistemas' personal navigator =
>for the=20
>blind, called Tormes, includes a<BR>Braille keyboard, a voice =
>synthesizer and a=20
>GPS receiver.<BR>The latest version comes packed with an "always-on" =
>GPRS=20
>wireless internet<BR>connection, providing access to the SisNet=20
>services.<BR>Personal navigators<BR>" By connecting the world of =
>navigation with=20
>the Internet, we are opening up<BR>many new possibilities "<BR>Javier=20
>Ventura-Traveset, Esa</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>All this hi-tech gadgetry gives users =
>constant=20
>updates about their location<BR>and<BR>tells them which road they are =
>walking=20
>down, which buildings are near them and<BR>when they are approaching a=20
>junction.<BR>"We think that the addition of SisNet to Tormes is very=20
>interesting," says<BR>Alfredo Catalina who is overseeing the project at =
>GMV. "It=20
>should allow the<BR>blind user to navigate using a map, just as a =
>sighted person=20
>can."<BR>The addition of an internet connection also has the potential =
>to=20
>enhance the<BR>function of personal navigators in other ways.<BR>"When =
>you are=20
>connected to the internet you can also send messages back,"<BR>explains =
>Javier=20
>Ventura-Traveset from Esa.<BR>"You can ask for directions to a =
>particular place=20
>or say that you are lost or<BR>have had an accident. By connecting the =
>world of=20
>navigation with the internet,<BR>we are opening up many new=20
>possibilities."<BR>Tormes is expected to be ready to begin tests in =
>early=20
>February.<BR>"We will do two tests, one with and one without the =
>Egnos/SisNet=20
>technology so<BR>that we can compare them," says Felix Toran-Marti from=20
>ESA.<BR>"Members of Once will be helping to define the tests and assess=20
>the<BR>performance<BR>of the technology."<BR>Egnos is the first element =
>of the=20
>European satellite navigation strategy and a<BR>major stepping-stone =
>towards=20
>Galileo, Europe's own global satellite navigation<BR>system for the=20
>future.<BR>Consisting of 30 satellites in medium-Earth orbit plus an=20
>associated<BR>network of<BR>ground stations, Galileo is expected to =
>deliver an=20
>independent,<BR>civilian-controlled positioning service worldwide with=20
>metre-scale accuracy.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
>------=_NextPart_000_00A4_01C2D381.5965C940--
>
>
>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
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>
--
___ ____________
<<<((__O\ (__<>___<>__ \ ____ Don't get rattled by
Steven Whatley \ \_(__<>___<>__)\O\_/O___>-< what I say. It's just
[log in to unmask] \O__<>___<>___<>)\___/ my opinion.
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
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