OpenWorld Contest Resource Ideas & Links

The Autonomie project that inspired the OpenWorld Application Design Contest, promotes technologies to assist the sight impaired. But, technologies promoted by OpenWorld can be for any type of human assistance application supporting the sight, hearing or mobility impaired, or in applications that assist people with medical conditions that limit their lifestyle.

This section will provide links to resources and references that might be integrated into human assistance applications.

Precision Locating without GPS Related algorithms, locating strategies and mapping resources.	RF Technologies Such as GPS, GSM, Bluetooth, Zigbee / RF4CE, RFID. Zigbee extension for Primer2, EvoPrimer with STM32F103VE
MEMS Such as gyroscopes, magnetometers, pressure sensors, temperature sensors and related components.	Augmented Reality Resources for audio, graphics, displays and video

OpenWorld Facilitating Access to Transportation

Facilitating access to public transportation for visually impaired and persons suffering other handicaps is a principle theme of the Autonomie project and for the OpenWorld Design Contest. In the context of their current engagements to promote solutions for the disabled, the SMTC and the Grenoble Metro are sponsoring $4000 in cash prizes that will be specifically awarded to winning applications that facilitate access to public transportation.

There are numerous possibilities for potential applications, but here are just a few ideas:

Transfer assistance -

Applications assisting a person who must navigate from one means of public transportation to another, notably where users due to handicaps or failing health may miss direction and information signs, and be too intimidated to ask assistance from other pedestrians.

Solutions to investigate: 

• Precision navigation assistant with audio instructions and information about correspondence
• Volunteer assistance tool that emits a request for voluntary assistance by another person who is nearby.

Interrupted service information -

Applications that help a person on their typical itinerary, to obtain updates about unplanned interruptions of service. Assist persons in obtaining the latest schedule information and alternative travel options.

Solutions to investigate: 

• Alternative communication mechanisms for communicating updated information to users
• Services for detecting user presence at stations where the service has been interrupted and offering alternative solutions

Informing people with hearing deficiencies -

In some contexts, accidents or demonstrations for example, audio signals that are emitted to alert users are not detected by the hearing impaired who then find themselves lost, without information in a stressful situation.

Solutions to investigate:

• Information delivery for the hearing disabled to communicate emergency information and alerts with attention to symbols that may be easily interpreted regardless of language.

These are just a few application areas where technology could potentially assist handicapped, elderly or disabled users to use mass transportation with greater freedom.