Mobile accessible pedestrian signals (MAPS) for people who are blind

People with vision impairment generally have difficulty crossing intersections due to lack of traffic information. The most difficult intersection crossing tasks for this population are locating the crosswalk, determining when to cross, and maintaining alignment to the crosswalk while crossing. Through our ongoing effort to develop a prototype Mobile Accessible Pedestrian Signal (MAPS) application for the blind and visually impaired, we interviewed ten blind and low-vision people to better understand the type of information they use at intersection crossings and identified information types that could assist them. With these survey results, a prototype MAPS is developed that provides signal and intersection geometry information to Smartphone users at signalized intersections. User interaction is via simple tactile input (single/double-tap) and Text-To-Speech (TTS) interface are used for feedback. In the future, intersections equipped with Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) will advance the capabilities of MAPS to next level of mobility and safety applications for people with vision impairment. MAPS can take advantage of the low-latency capability of DSRC to coordinate cooperative communication among pedestrians (waiting at the crossing), traffic signal controllers, and approaching vehicles, thereby providing dynamic decision-making support to all travelers, not just the visually impaired.