For the 36 million people in the world who are blind, Google Maps has launched a new feature that provides detailed voice guidance for walking navigation.
“Think about the last time you walked to a new place. How many streets did you cross to get there? Which intersections were the most complex? How did you prepare before making a turn? And how did you know you weren’t lost?” asked Wakana Sugiyama, a legally blind Japanese woman who is a business analyst at Google.
“As a legally blind woman living in Tokyo, I know that getting around unfamiliar environments can be a challenge,” added Wakana. “I can easily commute from my front door to my desk at work; it’s a trip I take regularly and know well. But going some place new and unfamiliar can be an intimidating experience without sight to guide you. In some cases, I’ll have a friend to join me on a trip, but in others I may decide not to take the journey at all.”
The new feature will enable those who are visually impaired to safely walk the streets with reliable verbal announcements guiding the way.
By using Google Maps’ voice guidance, a degree of freedom and independence can be achieved for the visually impaired.
“This feature is the first in Google Maps to be built from the ground up by, and for, people with vision impairments,” said Wakana. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with the Maps team on this project as an early advisor and tester—outside of my day job as a business analyst in the Tokyo office.”
“With this feature, I can navigate the streets of Tokyo with more comfort and confidence,” stated Wakana. “As I take my journey, Google Maps proactively lets me know that I’m on the correct route, the distance until my next turn and the direction I’m walking in. As I approach large intersections, I get a heads-up to cross with added caution. And if I accidentally leave my route, I’ll get a spoken notification that I’m being re-routed.”
The new Android and iOS compatible voice guidance feature is now available in English in the United States and Japanese in Japan. Additional languages and countries are set to become available.
