Abstract

The Visually Impaired Assistance System (VIAS) can be adapted to all public buildings. VIAS is a cost-effective infrared communication system that transmits audio to the user from the portable receiver carried by the user when they pass by a transmitter. When it receives the message, it sends an audio message to the user to communicate the user’s position in the building. The transmitter, powered by a wall outlet, sits at one end of a hallway and communicates with a string of infrared lights that flash at a specific frequency. Initially, the project concentrates on finding a way to communicate to a visually impaired individual the arrival of an obstacle in the building such as the end of a hallway. VIAS’s future will include the expansion of its communication to the user by identifying a certain room, such as a bathroom or front office, given the signal frequency sent to the user as well as the development of a phone app.