well, regarding the entire issue, I have the following observations. I don't mean to really oppose any ones thinking but as a very ordinary person but being blind I will like to throw some light on the matter. again before I say any thing, I am perhaps the least tallented amongst all so plese forget what ever I say if that sounds useless. firstly, to develop such a system, rather than asuming how a certain system can or cannot be done and taking a certain advantage of limitation for granted, one needs to first understand the mind set of a visually handicap person. firstly while travelling the first and formost thing a blind person needs is a way to find his destination. here I am not refering to the gps system because it will probably be of no use. but if I am nearing an area I should be at least informed that I am near so and so area and this is x y z road. more often than not the problem faced by blind people is not crossing the roads because people help them out due to curtecy. the real problem is finding their way to a particular locality/ area. the second most evident problem for them is to catch a bus from a bus stop. very often they are not informed of the bus number even after asking to their fellow pasengers on the bus stop. some times a kind hearted person will say "bus aane par bata dunga." but when his bus comes before mine he goes away in haist and I will keep on guessing that the person is around and will tell me when my bus comes. and then after a few busses go some other kind person (if any) will ask me which bus do I want and then tell me "are vo bus to gai!" so there needs to be a system where a small chip is fitted inside the bus which has some small transmiter that transmits information at a very short range. so when the bus comes near the device in the hands of the blind person will get the signel and read the bus number and probably some major haults it is going to take. I have seen at many places that the blind people are guided to find the entrence with a beeper placed over the dore or gate. that is not the right idea. right idea is to guide him on a short distance. infact what a blind person guesses from a longer distance is often wrong and he comes to know only when he is close. so if we can figure out relative position and audibally guide the blind person then it will be a great idea. when climbing up or down the foot bridge, the most important problem a blind person faces is to predict the starting and ending of stepps. so the best idea is to give him a queue with disending tones of lowering notes makes him understand the "down " signel. so if he is near by to down going steps relative to his position (at the top of the ladder ) the signel will be disending. same is with asending steps in railway bridges. many blind people find it difficult to navigate on such bridges. as far as landing in to some uncertain place with the help of guided signel is concerned, well I agree on that too. but how about at least telling which bus stop or railway station is near by and I repeat near by not the left or right. that can be sorted out later as roni rightly pointed out. but what is important is the fact that blind person does not have to wait for some one to come and ask "kidhar jana hain?" he will be in a better position to say that take me to x y z colony which is some where close, because he is now sure that he is near by to the destination. generally blind people are confused as to how far or near they are to a locality, and when no one around understand what he is saying, the situation becomes even more complex. as far as the sited people are concerned well, for toorists it is good that they can be guided by such systems. in the later part of our project there can be a small display on the hand held device (at choice) which can even provide the map of the near by or related locality . so when you any ways come near to that pole the one which gets the strongest signel will send the data. and as roni pointed out for blind people this is the way to guess the proximity. these are my views form the real requirement of a blind person. and they certainly fit in the gammett of things that can be done. thanks, Krishnakant.
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