We're happy to announce our collaboration with Clew, an innovative navigation app designed specifically for individuals with blindness and visual impairments. Clew utilizes Augmented Reality (AR) technology to provide accurate and intuitive navigation, even indoors. By integrating Clew's navigation instructions as vibration patterns on xBand, users can navigate confidently without relying on audio instructions.
Most of today's navigation apps rely only on GPS, which doesn't provide enough accuracy for people with poor sight, especially indoors. Clew, designed by a research group at Olin College of Engineering, addresses these challenges by using the phone's camera in conjunction with Augmented Reality. Leveraging Apple's ARKit technology, Clew uses augmented reality to create virtual keypoints along your path, making it easier to navigate in unfamiliar areas. A series of points are created as you walk and these points can then be used to create a route and easily guide you back to your starting point. Clew can even help you find your way back to your specific seat in an auditorium or a restaurant.
Today, xBand can be used to receive various types of information, such as the time, reminders and text messages via vibrations. Through the integration of a navigation solution, with feedback and guidance in the form of vibrations, we, together with Clew, aim to make it easier and safer for individuals with visual impairments to navigate their surroundings. Clew's navigation instructions are sent to xBand, allowing you to receive them as intuitive vibrations on your wrist. This eliminates the need to rely on audio instructions, which can be hard to hear in noisy environments such as traffic or crowds and can block out important sounds from the surroundings, such as those from approaching vehicles or people.
We look forward to continuing our work with Clew and developing new innovative solutions that reduce reliance on vision and hearing and promote increased accessibility and independence for users worldwide.
The feature will soon be available to xBand users.
You can find more information about Clew at clewapp.org.