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Utilisation of Location Based Services for the benefit of Visually Handicapped People
Approaches:
It is thought that there are many ways we can serve the ViHP. We have tried to give the
solution in a very logical manner starting from simple approach to a complex approach.
Way 1: Simplest way is in each of the Pedestrian Red-light crossing provide a small box
type machine having a button. If the button is pressed, it will just speak out the current
position locality details and also directional details with respect to that box facing side.
This approach is a very economical one and also provides a 100% accuracy, but this is a
localized one, we can use with expected success in Metros and if a city is developed in a
very planned and systematic manner. Since Indian urban areas are a very typical one this
approach is questionable still and also this will help only when ViHP reaches upto the
Red-light crossing. How will he come to that Box point?. So this approach is not an
efficient one.
Way 2: Another way is split the city into different radio frequency zones like FM radio.
Make a device like radio device which can detect these frequencies and each of these
frequencies are resonated with a respective button on the device. So by pressing that
button the device will check whether the frequency exists in that area or not? If exists
then a pre-recorded voice will tell in which zone the ViHP is located. Though this
approach is economical, it is not accurate. In order to make it accurate we have to look
for a way to find the varying levels of intensity of broadcasting frequency and based on
that variations the big zone can be again sub-zonated and respectively names can be
found and shall be pre-recorded onto the device. This needs a look from a broadcast
engineer and also this has to be city specific and hence needs lot of preparatory
background work for implementation.
Way 3: Another answer to this question of helping a ViHP is provide a GPS to them and
it should have a text to voice converter. Then the question comes here, how shall the
position information from GPS which is in numeric from can be converted into a location
name?. Let us assume that we develop an elementary software which will tell
approximate locality name from latitude-longitude information. Next question is
Accuracy. Though there will be 20meter error in a single handheld mode, let us feel that
‘something is better than nothing for ViHP’. Third problem is money. This is going to be
a crucial. Because cost of a GPS is very high compared to any luxury house hold item.
Due to economical reason this approach cannot be used for sure.
Way 4: If cost is not a problem the Way 3 can be made more sophisticated. Make a
device which has a map of that metro and GPS in built. The GPS will provide a location
and a background query will pickup predefined voice database which will tell in words
what is the location and how far are the nearest benchmark locality and how to reach that
place by footpath. When there are 4 nearest possible places then ViHP will be asked to
press the number corresponds to that place name and accordingly the Network Analyst
will describe in words how to reach that place. Still Accuracy problem exists in this
approach.
Way 5: Another approach is using Local Positioning System (LPS, not LBS). GPS works
with space based triangulation, but LPS will work based on ground based triangulations.
For this we have to setup a ground stations in metros, just like Mobile network stations.
These LPS stations will emit signals regarding their position. A Device can be made
which will find its position using triangulation and will tell in word where a ViHP is
located and in which direction he is moving. The approach will be more accurate, except
high-rise buildings interruptions on signal. Establishing such network is very much
economically feasible in comparison to satellite building-launching-&-operational cost,
as this approach will not only provide service to ViHP and also to any common man like
for emergency services, tracking their fleets.
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