Here's yet another smartphone application that can help people use a major urban subway and rail system, in this case, the London Tube. This app, made by software developer AcrossAir, superimposes arrows in the direction of the nearest Tube station on the screen of an iPhone 3GS as the user shoots video of his or her surroundings (you have to be in London, of course).

See Gizmodo's coverage at: http://gizmodo.com/5308705/nearest-tube-iphone-app-adds-digital-directions-to-your-surroundings

This sort of application could be very useful to people with limited cognitive function or who otherwise have difficulty finding their way in new environments. Imagine if/when this concept is developed for all sorts of other types of urban terrain or even for large indoor spaces like airports, etc. It could help people navigate the physical and social environment with greater facility and confidence, and implicitly with greater security against getting lost.

Augmented Reality Apps

This application is representative of an emerging concept in computing (and mobile technology in particular) of so-called "augmented reality."

Indeed, it sounds really cool, kind of like the way "artificial intelligence" and "virtual reality" evoke the creation or enhancement of reality using computer technology.

But, "augmented reality" suggests something even bigger, or at least more immediately useful for assisting people as they navigate their physicial and social surroundings. Indeed, it seems like a specific type of what we call "assistive technology." The term is suggestive of tools for enhancing human cognitive and sensory abilities, which could be especially helpful to individuals with some sort of impairment or perhaps gradual loss of cognitive or sensory function (e.g., age-related loss of vision).

As it turns out, AcrossAir (The Nearest Tube's creator) is looking for beta testers in the following cities: San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Madrid or Barcelona. Volunteers have to won an iPhone 3GS (the iPhone 3G does not have a good enough camera). This could be an opportunity for people with disabilities to directly influence product development.

The company's website provides the following instructions for potential volunteers:

"Please send an email to contactus@acrossair.com with your UDID Identifier code and your city location. Your UDID code can be found by connecting your iPhone 3GS to computer, open iTunes click on your iPhone under 'devices' on the left. Then click on the 'Summary' tab (top), where the serial number is displayed. Click once to show the Identifier UDID code (a long set of numbers), press Ctrl + C to copy the numbers and then Ctrl + V into your email body to paste it."

Disclaimer

We here at the Wireless RERC do not endorse products or companies. And, we don't have direct experience with AcrossAir or its applications. But we are always interested in technologies that might prove useful to people with disabilities.

We will continue to keep an eye out for new augmented reality apps and report on them on this website.