全球首款盲人导航应用Waymap亮相 可让使用者听声辩位

5月25日消息，一款旨在帮助视障人士或盲人行人使用公共交通工具的应用程序在华盛顿地铁站首次亮相。该应用程序名为Waymap，旨在为盲人和视障人士扩展旅行可选择的路线，提供每一步的音频指示，据称精确度可达到3英尺（0.9米）。

同时，该软件不适用GPS，无论室内或室外的手机信号强度如何，都可以正常运行，它将通过把详细的地图数据加载到智能手机上，并利用手机上的运动传感器提供精确的方向指导。

Waymap的创始人汤姆・佩伊（TomPey)表示，他自己是盲人，在使用其他应用程序后发现都不够精确，他认为“移动不是奢侈品，事实上，这是一项人权。”

佩伊说，盲人旅行者通常只能使用个别较为熟悉的以家为起始点的路线作为旅行出行路线，是因为他们只能依靠记忆走动并且缺乏信心和安全感。

Waymap计划将分阶段部署，目标是到9月份在多达30个地铁火车站和近1000个公交车站部署该应用程序，到2023年初在整个地铁系统部署该应用程序。

佩伊希望其他没有视力障碍的人最终也会使用这个应用程序，来帮助其改进方向指导功能并改进更新地图，佩伊呼吁道“你实际上是在把你的步数捐给一个盲人”。

At the same time, the software is not suitable for GPS, regardless of the indoor or outdoor phone signal strength, can operate normally, it will provide accurate direction by loading detailed map data into the smartphone and using the motion sensor on the phone.

TomPey, founder of Waymap, said he was blind and found it inaccurate after using other apps. “Mobility is not a luxury, in fact, it’s a human right,” he said.

Pey said blind travelers usually can only use a few familiar home-based routes as their travel routes because they can only rely on memory and lack confidence and sense of security.

Waymap plans to deploy the application in phases, with the goal of deploying the application at as many as 30 subway stations and nearly 1000 bus stations by SeptemberThe application will be deployed throughout the subway system by early 2023.

Paye hopes that other people without visual impairment will eventually use the app to help them improve direction and update maps. “you’re actually donating your steps to a blind person,” Paye called.