Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.
What’s that sound? If you are standing at an intersection in the heart of a major US city, it’s most likely an accessible pedestrian signal—a device that provides visually impaired people with audible cues about the status of a walk signal.
Obviously the repetitive sounds are better than nothing, but they can’t actually tell someone whether it’s safe to cross the street or not. Reckless drivers, objects in the crosswalk, and potholes can present dangerous obstacles.
But what if there were a way to alert blind pedestrians to these potential pitfalls? That’s exactly the question Jindong Tan is trying to answer.