Cities Unlocked

Topics: Explore, Move

Research state: Opportunity

Visioning workshop, opportunity: Walking the City

Orientation is exceptionally difficult, with little or no visual cues and confusing soundscapes, alternative solutions are needed to guide…

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Topics: Explore, Interact, Move

Research state: Opportunity

Visioning workshop, opportunity: Street Furniture

Existing street furniture and amenities can be a hindrance to the blind and partially sighted. Shared spaces and open streets can disrupt…

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Topics: Explore, Hear

Research state: Challenge

Distinctive and predictable sounds in the urban environment are key source of navigational information

Changes in the sound of traffic, the sounds of different trains or of a shouting market stall holder are all examples of useful and…

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Topics: Hear, Overall

Research state: Opportunity

Visioning workshop, opportunity: Hearing the City

Many partially sighted people suffer from a lack of information about their surroundings or situation. Often they rely on the descriptions…

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Topics: Move

Research state: Demonstrator

Leaving home

Kate leaves her house and walks down Tamarisk Avenue towards Reading town centre. She’s informed that there’s a new dropped kerb…

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Topics: Hear, Interact

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. Studio weave lullaby factory radio frequency installation

Lullaby Factory was set up at Great Ormond Street Hospital to create a calming environment for patients. It is an art installation that…

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Topics: Move, Touch

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. Tactile sight wayfinding belt

Developed by Tactile Sight, a spinoff of the University of Waterloo, the Tactile Belt functions much as a route planner such as Google…

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Topics: Hear, Move, Touch

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. Raynes Tacdots tactile paving

Designed by Raynes Associates, Tacdots are easy to install and easy to use tactile wayfinding dots. The dots can be used for inside and…

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Topics: Hear

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. BAT ‘K’ sonar cane add-on appliance

The ‘K’ Sonar can be clipped on to an existing cane to help detect obstacles within a 5 metre range through the use of…

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Topics: Find, Move

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. BlindMaps braille interface for smartphones

Andrew Spitz, Markus Schmeiduch and Ruben van der Vleuten took part in a 36 hour project at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design…

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Topics: Find, Hear, See

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. TfL travel support card

TfL’s Travel Support Card is customisable through entering one’s specific details regarding the help required. This could be a…

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Topics: Hear, Interact

Research state: Opportunity

Horizon scan, innovation. Sound producing piano staircase

The piano staircase is an interactive landscape that was implemented to encourage people to use the stairs instead of the lift and the…

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