California's Livermore Laboratory was once a center or nuclear-weapons research. Now it is turning to peaceful research. It's developing an urban navigation system that will give new freedom of movement to the seeing impaired. The system combines solar-powered "smart tags" attached to buildings and tiny transceicers carried by the user. The smart tags send a coded message to the transceiver, which carries the database of imformation. The user then hears the information on his tranceiver. The ststem will go international once manufacturers agree on universal codes.
April 12, 2006
Hearing is Believing
California's Livermore Laboratory was once a center or nuclear-weapons research. Now it is turning to peaceful research. It's developing an urban navigation system that will give new freedom of movement to the seeing impaired. The system combines solar-powered "smart tags" attached to buildings and tiny transceicers carried by the user. The smart tags send a coded message to the transceiver, which carries the database of imformation. The user then hears the information on his tranceiver. The ststem will go international once manufacturers agree on universal codes.
