Co-authored by Mike Hess, Blind Institute of Technology and Phil Hatch, CACI
Have you ever arrived at a building but didn’t know where to go once you got there? Over the last twenty years, GPS has enabled all kinds of location-based services and has made the art of reading a map obsolete. Unfortunately, GPS has done very little to help us navigate once we arrive at the entrance of a school, a mall, an airport, or a museum. Once you get to the front door, you’re pretty much on your own. At least until EdgGuide™.
EdgGuide is a collaboration between Colorado Smart Cities Alliance members CACI and the Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) to provide an indoor micro-navigation solution for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) so everyone can enjoy a technology enhanced experience. In addition, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) hosted a six-month pilot of the capability ending in the spring of 2020. By leveraging this technology, the museum was able to expand their services to a broader community: precision navigation for the BVI community, a ‘find your buddy’ feature, curated audio content that augments the tactile experience of blind and visually impaired guests, and exhibit-specific audio content available in multiple languages for audio learners.
The story of EdgGuide is a perfect example of how organizations like BIT, DMNS, and technology companies like CACI can come together to study and solve a hard problem. Mike Hess, CEO of BIT, has stated: “Technology is the great mitigator of all humanity and accessibility technology is especially impactful to the disabled community.” One of the key benefits of EdgGuide for the BVI community is the curation of content that describes in great detail not only what a museum exhibit describes on a placard, but also everything about its surroundings that sighted people absorb. Not one of us knew this before kicking off the pilot, but together we learned this was a critical and compelling part of the overall experience. None of this would have happened if we weren’t all committed to the challenging work of solving a hard problem together.
Technologies like EdgGuide allow companies to hire corporate-ready professionals from the disabled community – addressing the extremely high unemployment rates of professionals with disabilities. Technology contributes to a greater quality of life for the entire community and to the opportunity for disabled professionals to engage in a career and to an active membership in that diverse community.
Working together, we imagined a technology augmented experience that enables sighted, blind, or visually impaired patrons to autonomously navigate to and through their destination efficiently and safely, avoiding unexpected challenges like elevators that are inoperable, or restrooms that are temporarily closed for cleaning. EdgGuide provides information, when you need it based on where you are, in the language of your preference, with the depth and detail that makes visiting a government building, an entertainment venue, or a cultural landmark a rewarding and enriching experience. Delivering autonomy for all, unlike ever before!
If this indoor navigation technology could help improve accessibility for your organization, the Alliance would love to facilitate a conversation. We see opportunities for additional museums, conference centers, libraries, airports and more! To watch a short video of Mike Hess navigating the DMNS using EdgGuide and to learn more visit: https://www.caci.com/edgguide-indoor-micro-navigation-solution.
