A2B is part of my year long Senior Studio Project. Research was conducted during the Fall 2013 semester as Seeing Eye Co. with Andrew Martin and Geoffrey Eselgroth. Primary research in the form of interviews and discussions occurred thanks to the gracious staff at the Arizona Industries for the Blind. 

A2B is an assistive device for individuals with visual disabilities intended to help them navigate urban environments. A2B was designed to address three issues: non-visual perception of landmarks, directional orientation, and time awareness

Part of my research involved studying video blogs by individuals with visual disabilities describing every detail of their daily commute. The daily commute of an individual with visual disabilities can be much more difficult than someone with out. Taking public transit doesn't guarantee that they will make it to their destination, with distracted drivers, unfamiliar transfers, and poor communication preventing an easy commute. With out visual surroundings to provide a reference of familiarity, it is necessary to establish landmarks. The concept of familiarity also translates to the pedestrian walking level. "I wish I could plant a tree". This was said by a woman who works at the Arizona Industries for the Blind in Phoenix, regarding walking around her neighborhood and establishing differentiation between homes by using a hypothetical landmark.

Comprehensive GPS navigation products do exist but they are expensive and rely on multiple components to relay information back to the user, and only through audio feedback.

My goals for this project were to consolidate essential features of current GPS devices to one device, use tactile feedback instead of audio to increase situational awareness, and also to create a product that is discrete and desirable.

During brainstorming sessions, a classmate provided this idea for a rotating location pointer, and this inspired my idea for a tactile compass. I focused on applying the tactile compass idea to white canes and GPS breadcrumbs, but also experimented with the idea of haptic guide dog harnesses and haptic backpack straps. I chose to elaborate on the tactile compass due to its practicality, simplicity, and potential as a real product with currently available and affordable technology.

In order to create a product with an excellent tactile experience, I borrowed elements from electronic instruments, drum pads, and samplers. I also took inspiration from the intuitive controls of classic video game systems (an element that found its way in to the final design). I synthesized these specific languages in to a singular, unique design language.

A2B: On Time, In the Right Direction

A2B is the size of a large watch with a 40 by 40 millimeter footprint, that user wears on their wrist, just like a watch. Large buttons with braille on either side control the function and mode of the device. The area on the device normally occupied by a screen or watch face is dominated by large tactile pointer, and secondary pointer that acts as the hour hand when in watch mode. The large primary pointer acts as the minute hand. Holding down the A or B button will drop a GPS pin on the user's current location and save it as a landmark. Pressing the A or B button will retrieve one of two saved landmarks and point towards its location. 

The technology behind A2B is currently available in products such as a GPS devices and consumer quadrocopter drones. A simple micro controller interprets GPS information and translates this to the appropriate amount of electric motor rotation. A gyroscopic module ensures that directional orientation is not effected by the angle of the user's wrist. An ABS enclosure with polymer components enable conventional injection molding during manufacture.  

Although A2B is intended as a assistive device in a niche market, it's usefulness as a GPS compass and watch give it potential as a crossover accessory for mainstream consumers. A2B would be made affordable through insurance for those who need it, while mainstream consumers would pay extra, with extra profits going towards an organization such as the American Foundation for the Blind.