Urban Pathfinder
Tactile Mapping System for the Visually Challenged
NYC Department of Transportation
A student project presented to officials from the NYC DOT on May 21, 2014
Collaborators: Adriana Bustamante & Sungjun Yoon
Visually challenged individuals navigate the world through a combination of memory, touch, and sound. While new technologies such as smart phones have enabled more freedom than ever before for some, not everyone can afford these items. Also, since they are dependent on finite battery sources, an individual who relies on them could easily become stranded in an unfamiliar area.
My team, with assistance from NY rehabilitation counselors and the visually impaired community, identified several infrastructure based impediments to mobility for low to no-vision residents of NYC. We developed a low-budget wayfinding system that would be useful to all of the city’s residents. The system works with existing infrastructure rather than requiring any new construction.
Presentation Video
Presentation Storyboard Highlights
Design Challenges
Users Locating Signs
Because of the city’s age & size, NYC does not have a standardized streetcorner design. Signs cannot be consistently placed to allow users to locate the signs.
Solution
Armortile ramps are currently required to be installed at all intersections to help low & no-vision users to locate street-corner ramps. 3M Stamark all-weather ground marking tape can be used as a durable, low-cost way to direct users from the armortile to the signage.
Sign Installation
Deployment costs & the varied intersection streetcorner designs means a single method of installation is impractical.
Solution
A survey of existing streetcorner architecture/hardware was taken & it was determined that metal strapping or industrial rubberized adhesives could be used to attach the signs to existing infrastructure to reduce installation costs.
Design Features
