Improved bus navigation for visually impaired riders using beacons

GPS technology guides visually impaired users to roughly 30 feet of their bus stop. However, those remaining 30 feet can mean the difference between catching the bus and missing it. Through this project, I explored the potential of using beacons to bridge the 30-foot gap left by GPS technology. I conducted extensive research and experimentation and worked with a team of developers to build a solution that successfully guides users to within 5 feet of their stop. We deployed beacons on two major bus routes in Boston, and our solution was integrated into the BlindWays app.

My role

Product Management

UX Research

Usability Testing

Beacon Installation & Testing

Team

Eric Slosser (Developer) · Alex Rouse (Developer)

User research & usability testing

I interviewed and shadowed 5 visually impaired users who commute using the bus to understand their existing experience and evaluate if and how we could make their journey less stressful.  Following the implementation of our beacon solution, I conducted multiple rounds of usability tests to assess the success rate of our solution in various bus stop environments (rural and urban).   Our solution went through many iterations until we finally arrived at one that proved consistently successful. 

Ideation & Experimentation
UX design
Beacon installation & testing
Mobile app development
User research & usability testing

I interviewed and shadowed 5 visually impaired users who commute using the bus to understand their existing experience and evaluate if and how we could make their journey less stressful.  Following the implementation of our beacon solution, I conducted multiple rounds of usability tests to assess the success rate of our solution in various bus stop environments (rural and urban).   Our solution went through many iterations until we finally arrived at one that proved consistently successful. 

Ideation & Experimentation
UX design
Beacon installation & testing
Mobile app development
User research & usability testing

I interviewed and shadowed 5 visually impaired users who commute using the bus to understand their existing experience and evaluate if and how we could make their journey less stressful.  Following the implementation of our beacon solution, I conducted multiple rounds of usability tests to assess the success rate of our solution in various bus stop environments (rural and urban).   Our solution went through many iterations until we finally arrived at one that proved consistently successful. 

Ideation & Experimentation
UX design
Beacon installation & testing
Mobile app development
Determining distance

The strength of a signal received by a mobile device will be noisy even if its not in motion. There are several reasons for this, including environmental factors (obstructions, weather, traffic, etc), how the mobile device is held, and the type of mobile device that is used. The best way to handle this is to filter or average the signal strength data and analyze a trend rather than an exact value.  By doing this you can better determine if someone is walking toward or away from a beacon. But to figure out if someone is within 10 to 15 feet vs 5 to 10 feet of a beacon is very difficult. 

Learning from failures
Mitigating signal loss issues
Reducing vandalism
Finding the right installation technique
Determining distance

The strength of a signal received by a mobile device will be noisy even if its not in motion. There are several reasons for this, including environmental factors (obstructions, weather, traffic, etc), how the mobile device is held, and the type of mobile device that is used. The best way to handle this is to filter or average the signal strength data and analyze a trend rather than an exact value.  By doing this you can better determine if someone is walking toward or away from a beacon. But to figure out if someone is within 10 to 15 feet vs 5 to 10 feet of a beacon is very difficult. 

Learning from failures
Mitigating signal loss issues
Reducing vandalism
Finding the right installation technique
Determining distance

The strength of a signal received by a mobile device will be noisy even if its not in motion. There are several reasons for this, including environmental factors (obstructions, weather, traffic, etc), how the mobile device is held, and the type of mobile device that is used. The best way to handle this is to filter or average the signal strength data and analyze a trend rather than an exact value.  By doing this you can better determine if someone is walking toward or away from a beacon. But to figure out if someone is within 10 to 15 feet vs 5 to 10 feet of a beacon is very difficult. 

Learning from failures
Mitigating signal loss issues
Reducing vandalism
Finding the right installation technique
Image of a coach

Ready to build something great? Let's connect.

If you're wrestling with an idea or a tough challenge, don't hesitate to reach out.

Image of a coach

Ready to build something great? Let's connect.

If you're wrestling with an idea or a tough challenge, don't hesitate to reach out.

Image of a coach

Ready to build something great? Let's connect.

If you're wrestling with an idea or a tough challenge, don't hesitate to reach out.