WhereTo [vision impaired direction finder]

Standard building way-finding is primarily visual. It consists typically of things like signs, arrows, paths painted on walls or floors, and other methods which are of minimal or no use to the visually impaired. In an unfamiliar building, this can leave these people at a distinct disadvantage. The WhereTo system by Envied Solutions aims to alleviate this disadvantage. To use the WhereTo system, the building owner installs a number of beacons throughout the building. These beacons are programmed during set-up with their location inside the building and are used by the handheld unit to determine the user’s position. The user can then use a WhereTo handheld unit (either their own or one that the building owner lends out to visitors) to navigate to a destination within the beacon coverage. To best serve the target market, all interaction with the handheld unit is audio based. The user commands the system by voice and is given directions over a pair of headphones. As a bonus, along the way, the handheld can alert the user to any obstructions detected again through an audio warning