Hi there,
I'm getting back into using a long cane, utterly terrifying, thanks... Anyway, was wondering if you guys had found any good apps that would say, vibrate when passing set locations. For example, there is a long road, there is a bar, a supermarket and a bus stop. Are there any apps I can use which will notify me upon reaching these points? Vibrations are preferable as it is a main road, it is very noisy and I'd rather have my ears open for spacial awareness.
I don't have one, but can the apple watch be employed in such a way? I read it could be used to feel turn by turn but finding loki would be epic.... Yes, I used the word 'epic'...
Comments
BlindSquare
Firstly, congratulations on getting back into using your white cane for mobility—I'm sure you'll appreciate the increased independence that it will bring to you.
The GPS app that I would recommend is BlindSquare. I am not sure if it would satisfy your needs. This is what it can do for you:
You can—for example—find a coffee shop through several different methods. You can get the app to track the coffee shop as you walk, and it will alert you when you are close to it (I think this can be adjusted), at it and when you have passed it.
BlindSquare also has plenty of other features that I am sure you will appreciate as you rediscover your independence. There are more features being added all the time, which justifies its cost. The app can sometimes be a little tricky to use, but with proper training, it can prove to be a very useful investment.
Re: Blindsquare
I did have a play with it before so it's already purchased. I'll get it again and see what it can do.
As I mentioned, I'm loath to use audio when walking as it's already highly important I listen. I live in Bristol and it is bike central around where I live, worry is having a headphone in and missing audio cues. I'll certainly have a look at this though. I think I'd like something that I can set before I leave and via certain vibration patterns, navigate to my destination. I know there are a pair of trainers which have vibrating soles so I might look into them though, I can't imagine I'll be skipping down any catwalks whilst wearing them. :)
Thanks for the encouragement to. I'm hoping it's a stand in until I can get another guide dog.
From Dog to Cane and Back Again
I have used a guide dog for 34 plus years now. From time-to-time, I have had to give in and use my cane due to life circumstances when between dogs. It's rather disconcerting at first but quite dueable. The only real way to get passed the adjustment is to actually use the cane. Though I personally dispise my cane, I nevertheless will use it when needed. it certaihnly beats dropping down a flight of steps. Keep on walking. Your new dog will be with you soon. Meanwhile, your mobility skills will be that much better when you get your new dog in hand.
Thanks for the words of encouragement
I have been a guide dog owner before so am certainly missing the trust thing, a 4 foot bit of metal doesn't replace a furry thinking little genius.. But eh, we work with what we've got, right?
My current issue is finding places as I walk down a long road as there aren't always reliable markers. This is why I was hoping there was an IOS app solution. The BlindSquare app is great though kinda overkill and even with bone conducting headphones can be rather distracting. I also have a slarmlem of stoned hipsters to navigate being in the 'cool' area... Have no idea why I'm here.
All I need is a vibration when I'm level with my destination. I didn't know if there was an app where one could drop pins and be notified on reaching them. I'm pretty sure I had an app like that once but didn't work well in the village I was living in.
Thanks for your help.
I don't think so
So far, I don't know of any app that uses vibration much to indicate navigation apart from the apple watch and maps, which only works if you already know where you want to go. One thing you could try is to use bone conduction headphones, which do not cover your ears and thus allow you to hear the environment as well. I have always found them to be useful in a similar situation.
Apple maps
Even the bone-conduction headphones might be a distraction, though I'll certainly look into them. With apple maps, how does the haptec engine behave? If I set destination for, I don't know, a specific cafe would it alert me when I'd arrived?
Thanks.
I use Blind Squared. You can add a place to it so that if you ar
I'm going to try this again, some how I x-outed myself.
I use blind squared and have it setup to alert me when I am near a certain bridge on the trails, and also a sidewalk turn off for when I am using my dog.
You can stand in a driveway, and shake your phone and find out what is in front of you. I have used it to find restaurants, a bank and 24 hour fitness just by walking checking and shaking.
It is an amazing piece of software!
A
One more thing
You can simulate a place before you go there and see what is around as well. When I was looking for areas to buy a house in I would put in and simulate the address of the house I wanted to look at to make sure what was in the neighborhood.
Jus sayin
A
Ariadne GPS
I'm still a somewhat new iphone user and haven't yet purchased a GPS app, (waited until the snow melted) but it seems from their manual and other posts on AppleVis that Ariadne GPS will store favorite locations, tell you how far away they are, and vibrate, talk, or play a sound . It lets you set favorite places anywhere, not just at pre-set addresses, and will even work when your device has no connection to the internet. Again, this is just from their manual and not from my personal experience. Maybe someone who has this app could tell us how well it works for vibrating place notifications.