MicroSoft’s3D Soundscape TechnologyHCC 741 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESSIBILITY

FALL 2014

HYE-KYUNG BAE

If you lost your sight…

3D Soundscape Technology

“An audio-rich experience… beacons all work together to enhance the mobility, confidence and independence of people with vision loss.”

Aim “to make cities more accessible for people with sight loss”

• Around 250 million people in the world have visual impairment.

• 65% of them are unemployed.• People with visually impairment are too anxious to leave

home alone• “An audio-rich experience… to enhance the mobility,

confidence and independence of people with vision loss.”

Who are involved?

And other a number of other partners including Network Rail, Reading Buses, the Reading Borough Council, the grocer Tesco, and neighbors on Tamarisk Avenue in UK.

What do you need?

Microshft’s Bone Conductive Headset Smart Phone

How it works?

- WiFi or Bluetooth signals to the device, including GPS navigation

- Your phone will adjust a one-handed navigation

- Bone-conductive headset will transmit the sounds and verbal navigation cues through your bone to directly to your inner ear

How it works?

• Independence Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEzncMLLOxE

• Cities Unlocked: Lighting up the world through sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgrSvnmhrY#t=284

ReferencesIndependence Day: http://news.microsoft.com/stories/independence-day/

Microsoft’s bone-conducting headset uses audio to help guide the blind around town: https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/news-template/-/asset_publisher/Qw0bKmomFN4q/content/unlocking-cities-through-sound/?redirect=%2F

Microsoft’s 3D soundscape technology aims to make navigation easier for the visually impaired: http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsofts-3d-soundscape-technology-aims-make-navigation-easier-visually-impaired

Headset creates “3D soundscape” to help blind people navigate cities: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/11/06/future-cities-catapult-microsoft-guide-dogs-3d-headset-soundscape-to-help-blind-people/

Future Cities: https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/news-template/-/asset_publisher/Qw0bKmomFN4q/content/unlocking-cities-through-sound/?redirect=%2F

Cities Unlocked: https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/news-template/-/asset_publisher/Qw0bKmomFN4q/content/unlocking-cities-through-sound/?redirect=%2F

Videos

Independence Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEzncMLLOxE

Cities Unlocked: Lighting up the world through sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgrSvnmhrY#t=284