LISTEN FRIENDS, CAN YOU HEAR WHERE YOU ARE? (A BLOG FROM MY HUB)

Careful where you walk

At a recent meeting of the European Blind Union's Road Safety and
Transport Commission, we discussed the concept of smart pavements.  This
was all new to me, but I have now done a little reading around the
subject and it's amazing what could be under our feet as we walk around
in the future.

The world is getting used to an assault on our senses.  Everywhere you
look there are advertisements and literally thousands of opportunities
to grab our attention and make us buy or interact with organisations
every day.  This has all changed so much from the days of advertisements
in newspapers and magazines plus 1 television channel as the key means
of reaching us all.

Until now, most of the advertising is offered on a 1 to many model - 1
big poster, lots of opportunities to see it.  True, some advertising
focuses on the individual through our phones etc, but it's still quite a
blunt instrument.

Smart pavements could become the new hot advertising space.  As you walk
over a paving stone with an RFID or some other tag, you get information
about where you are, what's on offer and who is offering it.  Stand
outside that shop window for a few seconds and the pavement lets the
shop know you are there. Privacy issues not withstanding, the pavement
might even know if you regularly shop there or whether you like that
kind of food... Where we walk might have a huge bearing on the
information we get.

Before this gets too scary, imagine how useful all of this could be for
blind people.  However good you are at finding your way about,
remembering exactly where shops are is a huge challenge, especially as
there are so many changes on our high streets these days. Approach that
doorway which you think is Boots and have it confirmed by your phone.
Approach a new doorway and discover it's that Italian restaurant you
have always wanted to visit but could never find...

A project in Rome has installed talking pavements which, in the first
instance, guide you from a taxi rank in to a building.  The beauty of
these technologies is that they work outside and inside, and they can be
easily re-programmed to take advantage of new or changing information.
In this instance, people get information about one of the largest
hospitals in Rome, including times of clinics and meter by meter
guidance through a mobile phone application.

Smart cities are coming and they have huge potential for blind people,
are we ready for them?



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