Sep 8, 2021
This podcast is about big ideas on
how technology is making life better for people with vision
loss.
This episode’s big idea is
navigation and how to implement a navigation solution that enables
people with vision impairment to broadly travel cities — how and
when they want to, independently. Dr. Roberts talks with Javier
Pita, the creator of such a technology called NaviLens, which
marries location finding with information. Dr. Roberts also talks with
representatives of New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority —
one of the biggest transportation hubs in the world. They discuss
the importance of accessible public transportation for people who
are visually impaired and how NaviLens technology can help make
independent navigation a reality.
The Big
Takeaways:
- NaviLens system uses improved QR
technology with a new type of code made up of four colors that
enables it to store more information than a black and white QR
code.
- Using a smartphone, the NaviLens
app scans the area. Once it picks up the unique
NaviLens code, the
app provides the embedded information audibly to the user along
with their distance/directionality from the code.
- As long as the code appears
anywhere in the field of view of the smartphone camera, the code is
detected and information is delivered.
- NaviLens is more accurate than GPS
technology because it takes into account smaller distances that are
crucial to navigation for people who are visually impaired.
NaviLens codes can be read up to 12 times farther away than QR or
bar codes as well as at 160-degree angle.
- Future advances to the NaviLens
technology include a 360-degree technology that will register and
retain the user’s location so the system can still tell where they
are, and guide them to the destination even if they lose contact
with the code. In addition, the NaviLens GO app uses advanced
technology to help users navigate indoor spaces such as stores and
to locate items in the store.
- This technology is elegant,
inexpensive, flexible, easy to use, and fits seamlessly into a
user’s life. While already part of public transportation in
Barcelona, cities like New York City are testing it and hope to
make this technology a more integral part of their public
transportation system.
Tweetables
“Public transportation is the answer
to so much inequity across all urban areas, and nonurban areas. If
we can work to make the system as safe as possible for any range of
abilities, that would be an enormous win, and huge piece making
public transit truly public transit.” – Mira
Philipson, Systemwide Accessibility Analyst, Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City
Transit
“I could walk down the hallway and
it’s telling me when I’ve arrived at this department and the door
is right in front of me — it really gives me that autonomy that I
really crave.” - Ed Plumacher, Adaptive Technology Specialist,
Lighthouse Guild
“We began in public transportation
because for us and the users on our team, it is super important to
make public transportation more accessible.” - Javier Pita, Founder
and CEO NaviLens
“Accessibility needs to be built
into products, websites, software, whatever it is, from the ground
up, because it will just lead to a better product
overall.” Gian
Carlo Pedulla, Supervisor, NYC Department of Education and Member,
Advisory Committee for Transit Accessibility, Metropolitan
Transportation Authority New York City Transit
Contact
Us:
Contact us at podcasts@lighthouseguild.org with your innovative
new technology ideas for people with vision loss.
Pertinent
Links:
Lighthouse Guild
NaviLens
NaviLens
GO
Guest Bios:
Javier Pita Lozano, Founder and CEO,
NaviLens
- Javier is the CEO of NaviLens, a solution whose
objective is to increase autonomy, social inclusion and quality of
life of the visually impaired. Any place can adopt the NaviLens
technology in an easy way to improve the space's accessibility
through the use of a new patented cutting-edge technology
artificial markers called ddTags. Entrepreneur with more than 15
years of experience in launching disruptive technologic companies.
Javier and his team are working hard to make this world more
accessible for the visually impaired people.
Mira Philipson, Analyst, Systemwide Accessibility,
Office ofthe President, Metropolitan
Transportation Authority New York City Transit
Gian Carlo Pedulla, Supervisor, NYC Department of Education and Member, Advisory
Committee for Transit Accessibility, Metropolitan Transportation
Authority New York City Transit
- Gian Carlo Pedulla was born and raised in
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Legally blind due to Leber’s Congenital
Amaurosis, he has persevered to overcome his blindness as well as
all related obstacles to meet both personal and professional goals.
Raised in an Italian American home, he learned the importance of a
good meal, being fastidious, having a strong work ethic, and to be
as independent as possible despite his blindness. After 15 years of
teaching, Mr. Pedulla is now an administrator for Educational
Vision Services within the New York City Department of Education.
Besides his passion for Mathematics, Physics, and being a Teacher
of the Visually Impaired, Mr. Pedulla enjoys music and has been
successful as a professional Disk Jockey performing at numerous
private and corporate functions throughout the tri-state area over
the last 25 years. Mr. Pedulla has been able to adapt and integrate
himself to the different school environments and to utilize his
strong interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of
individuals and personalities, disabled and non-disabled alike.
Assistive Technology has been an integral part of his ability to
access an array of materials and complete a variety of assignments
to achieve goals, both in academia and the workplace.
Edward Plumacher, Adaptive Technology
Specialist, Lighthouse Guild Adaptive Technology Specialist for
Lighthouse Guild since 2016
- Founder of a tech company that created products and
services for domestic and international professional sports leagues
and their television broadcast rights holders, providing advanced
optical imaging systems for quantifying and measuring live action
recreated in real-time 3-D computer generated video replays. Also
produced scoring and measurement systems for teams, coaches,
managers and league governing bodies. His world changed when he
lost his vision — including his career — though it still
involved technology. Purchased first iPhone after first orientation
and mobility training. Self-taught how to use voiceover over a
weekend, and went from having difficulty trying to email on
his computer with a magnifying glass and mouse to texting for the
first time, easily accessing email calendars, and the
internet. Was very active with the Foundation Fighting
Blindness (FFB) and became President of the Long Island
chapter. Began making presentations on smartphones and
smart tablets for FFB just after he lost his sight. Created audio
tutorials, ran workshops and networking groups on adaptive
technology. Puts together curriculums on teaching people with
vision loss about using technology. Worked with New York State
Commission for the Blind (NYSCB) to develop a curriculum for
providing services on iOS devices and became one of the first
people in NY State authorized to conduct iPhone and iPad training.
Experienced in podcasting and media, facilitates a peer-to-peer
support group at NY Public Library’s Andrew Heiskell Library, and
is also very active in sports such as running, skiing, beat
baseball, tandem cycling and outrigger canoeing.
Host
Bio:
Dr. Calvin W.
Roberts
Calvin W. Roberts, MD, is President and Chief
Executive Officer of Lighthouse Guild, the leading organization
dedicated to providing exceptional services that inspire people who
are visually impaired to attain their goals. Dr. Roberts has a
unique blend of academic, clinical, business, and hands-on product
development experience. Dr. Roberts is a Clinical Professor of
Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He was formerly
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Eye Care, at
Bausch Health Companies where he coordinated global development and
research efforts across their vision care, pharmaceutical, and
surgical business units. As a practicing ophthalmologist from 1982
to 2008, he performed more than 10,000 cataract surgeries as well
as 5,000 refractive and other corneal surgeries. He is credited
with developing surgical therapies, over-the-counter products for
vision care, prescription ocular therapeutics, and innovative
treatment regimens. He also holds patents on the wide-field
specular microscope and has done extensive research on ophthalmic
non-steroidals and postoperative cystoid macular edema. Dr. Roberts
has co-founded a specialty pharmaceutical company and is a frequent
industry lecturer and author. He currently serves as an Independent
Director on multiple corporate boards and has served as a
consultant to Allergan, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. A graduate
of Princeton University and the College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Columbia University, Dr. Roberts completed his internship and
ophthalmology residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia
University Medical Center in New York. He also completed cornea
fellowships at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Schepens
Eye Research Institute in Boston.