New smartphone app helps blind find their way inside buildings
(Phys.org) —A new smartphone app developed by a team at the University of Palermo in Italy helps sightless people navigate inside of buildings where GPS doesn't work. The development effort was paid for by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the result is meant as a means of aiding the blind in finding their way around inside of buildings by following a pre-designated path. The app works in conjunction with special tape that is placed on the floor. The user points the smartphone at the floor in a way reminiscent of a cane, swiping it back and forth until it buzzes in their hand, letting them know when to go straight or turn. The team has written a paper describing their app, dubbed ARIANNA, and how it works—it's available on the preprint server arXiv.