APPLICATION OF ITS TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF BLIND/SIGHTLESS ROAD USERS

The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is recognized as the most ambitious project in the transportation history of the United States after the interstate construction project. While the currently developed/identified technologies focus on meeting the needs of/enhancing the transportation benefits to the normal person, the possibility of using the same to enhance the support systems of the sightless/blind person has not yet received due consideration. The sightless/blind person supported by a walking staff, guide dog, and a few considerate pedestrians form the most vulnerable part of the traveling public. Identification of technologies are essential to develop a separate ITS user service that can meet the needs of the disabled, enhance their safety in the automated traffic of the 21st century, and also comply with the provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this paper, two technologies are put forth to initiate the development of a separate ITS user service for the disabled road user in general and the visually impaired in particular: 1) GPS-GIS (global positioning systems-geographic information systems) direct communication between the blind/sightless and traffic management centers, and 2) communication system between the subject and the crosswalk signals for adaptive signal timings at the traffic intersections. This paper will identify a new design for the walking staff, which will house the advanced technologies to make the sightless persons smart travelers tool.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Five volumes of papers and one volume of abstracts comprise the published set of conference materials.
• Corporate Authors:

  VERTIS

  TORANOMOM 34 MORI BUILDING 1-25-5
  TORANOMON, MINATOKU, TOKYO 105  Japan 
• Authors:
  • GOWDA, G V
  • Meadors, A L
• Conference:
  • Steps Forward. Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress
  • Location: Yokohama, Japan
  • Date: 1995-11-9 to 1995-11-11
• Publication Date: 1995-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1392

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communication systems; Equipment; Geographic information systems; Global Positioning System; Highway traffic control; Intelligent transportation systems; Persons with disabilities; Technological innovations; Traffic signal timing; Visually impaired persons
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Old TRIS Terms: Adaptive equipment (Disabled persons)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00723406
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 3
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 21 1996 12:00AM