Blind Turin residents to be guided by GPS

According to Britain's Telegraph newspaper, a select few blind residents of Turin, Italy have been tagged with GPS receivers to help them find their way around more easily, with additional individuals set to join the trials in the coming months. Unlike some other GPS-based systems for the blind (like the one pictured here), the one being put to use in Turin, dubbed Easy Walk, doesn't allow individuals to be completely independent, instead requiring them to phone a call center on their cellphone for assistance. The operator then simply tracks the individual's location using the GPS receiver and guides them to their destination over the phone. On the upside, the system will be free to all users, with costs payed for by the government. Eventually, the program will include all 3,000 blind residents of the Piedmont region of Italy, although they won't just be confined to strolling around their hometown, with the system able to watch their back as they travel across all of Italy and France.

[Via Textually.org]

[matthew @ Dec 19th 2006 10:43PM]

"with costs payed for by the government"

Payed: a nautical term that means "to let out a line or cable by slackening".
Not to be confused with paid.

[Deluxe @ Dec 19th 2006 10:48PM]

The ads on this site are getting ridiculous. Now I'm getting popups and scam 'We've given you spyware, pay us to get rid of it!' ads here.

Shame on you, Engadget.

[matthew @ Dec 19th 2006 10:55PM]

try Adblock Plus for Firefox (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1865/), or if you don't like Add-ons just edit your userContent.css file in Firefox (http://www.floppymoose.com/)

[J @ Dec 19th 2006 11:44PM]

Paid by the government eh? Socialism. Sucks. It's great that 3000 blind people get assistance, but make them pay for it themselves! I'm sure the people of Italy would hate to see their tax money go to waste like this...

[John Doe @ Dec 20th 2006 12:05AM]

And if they don't have the money? Why don't we just throw them in jail and be done with them right? Better yet lets remove all handicap legislation that has ever been created in every country on the planet. Who's with me? Moron asshole.

PS- Do you think your tax money isn't being spent on research, and other things that don't directly benefit you? Check that moron asshole. >:-0

[J @ Dec 20th 2006 12:28AM]

Having GPS as a blind person is not life threatening. I didn't say lock em up. But it's probably not the best idea to spend x thousand dollars on helping a person out marginally.

You're the type of person that wants public money spent on sports stadiums instead of given back to the public. Take away public choice! These morons shouldn't be allowed to spend their own money!

[J bel @ Dec 20th 2006 10:07PM]

Good for the blind, having a father who is blind I know first hand how important this technology could be. You say that tax money shouldn't be used but take a moment and think how hard life actually is for a blind person.

They cannot find work easy because of their disability, furthermore if they do find work how do they get there. Guide dogs can only be so helpful if you actually know how to get to your destination.

In future take a moment before you speak and actually think about what you say. Blind persons "should" be given access to this technology for free because god knows so much has been taken away and furthermore by providing them with the means of transportation allows them to source new employment which ends up reducing the tax burned anyway

[kizildere @ Dec 20th 2006 5:47AM]

"But it's probably not the best idea to spend x thousand dollars on helping a person out marginally."

Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate as you are. They were either born blind, or went blind later in life because they didn't have a daddy that took care of them like your's did.

Yeah, big surprise! Some people actually care about others, especially those who aren't as fortunate!

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Dec 20th 2006 4:58PM]

Maybe they should think twice about this. How many cars have ended up in rivers because the driver was relying solely on GPS? I just pray that all these blind citizens of Turino can swim.