How the Simple QR Code Became an Empowering Navigation Tool On Tech & Vision With Dr. Cal Roberts

This podcast is about big ideas on how technology is making life better for people with vision loss.
This episode’s big idea is navigation and how to implement a navigation solution that enables people with vision impairment to broadly travel cities — how and when they want to, independently. Dr. Roberts talks with Javier Pita, the creator of such a technology called NaviLens, which marries location finding with information.  Dr. Roberts also talks with representatives of New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority — one of the biggest transportation hubs in the world. They discuss the importance of accessible public transportation for people who are visually impaired and how NaviLens technology can help make independent navigation a reality. 
 
The Big Takeaways:
NaviLens system uses improved QR technology with a new type of code made up of four colors that enables it to store more information than a black and white QR code.  Using a smartphone, the NaviLens app scans the area. Once it picks up the unique NaviLens  code, the app provides the embedded information audibly to the user along with their distance/directionality from the code.  As long as the code appears anywhere in the field of view of the smartphone camera, the code is detected and information is delivered.  NaviLens is more accurate than GPS technology because it takes into account smaller distances that are crucial to navigation for people who are visually impaired. NaviLens codes can be read up to 12 times farther away than QR or bar codes as well as at 160-degree angle. Future advances to the NaviLens technology include a 360-degree technology that will register and retain the user’s location so the system can still tell where they are, and guide them to the destination even if they lose contact with the code. In addition, the NaviLens GO app uses advanced technology to help users navigate indoor spaces such as stores and to locate items in the store.   This technology is elegant, inexpensive, flexible, easy to use, and fits seamlessly into a user’s life. While already part of public transportation in Barcelona, cities like New York City are testing it and hope to make this technology a more integral part of their public transportation system.  
Tweetables
“Public transportation is the answer to so much inequity across all urban areas, and nonurban areas. If we can work to make the system as safe as possible for any range of abilities, that would be an enormous win, and huge piece making public transit truly public transit.” – Mira Philipson, Systemwide Accessibility Analyst, Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit
“I could walk down the hallway and it’s telling me when I’ve arrived at this department and the door is right in front of me — it really gives me that autonomy that I really crave.” - Ed Plumacher, Adaptive Technology Specialist, Lighthouse Guild
“We began in public transportation because for us and the users on our team, it is super important to make public transportation more accessible.” - Javier Pita, Founder and CEO NaviLens
“Accessibility needs to be built into products, websites, software, whatever it is, from the ground up, because it will just lead to a better product overall.”  Gian Carlo Pedulla, Supervisor, NYC Department of Education and Member, Advisory Committee for Transit Accessibility, Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit

 
Contact Us:
Contact us at podcasts@lighthouseguild.org with your innovative new technology ideas for people with vision loss.
 
Pertinent Links:
Lighthouse Guild
NaviLens
NaviLens GO
 
Guest Bios:
Javier Pita Lozano, Founder and CEO, NaviLens
Javier is the CEO of NaviLens, a solution whose objective is to increase autonomy, social inclusion and quality of life of the visually impaired. Any place can adopt the NaviLens technology in an easy way to improve the space's accessibility through t