"I believe that the technology ... is incredible for our everyday living especially navigating indoor places, since this is a really a big game changer for the life of people who are blind or low vision."

"A profound need within the blind and visually impaired community is the ability to navigate independently within the indoor environment where GPS based systems do not operate.  A number of companies have developed systems that, when installed within a building, can provide indoor navigation capability for the visually impaired. These generally complex and expensive systems have been implemented to a limited extent within Europe and a few other countries worldwide, but very few installations have been implemented in the US. For several years the Olin College of Engineering team has been developing a unique and powerful alternative navigation concept.  The Olin College  of Engineering is incorporating additional features, including seamless integration with outdoor GPS based navigation, that will make the application even more valuable to the visually impaired."

"[The App] helped me feel confident in a new environment and helped me become familiar in a space where I was forced to independently travel in for a week long course in which it was not vital for me to learn the location to its fullest. The app took the stress out of my traveling and allowed me to confidently move throughout the space and took the worry out of the experience. I was able to navigate from an elevator, to a dorm room, to a bathroom, with perfect direction accuracy and precision. I have also used in very cluttered environments like my basement to navigate across the messy room to the fridge/freezer without running into things from the stairs and back."

"I believe this technology has tremendous navigational potential for people who are blind or visually impaired.  Working with the team was fullfilling because they truly care about user experiences and work hard to make the time of testers beneficial both to their product development and by promoting learning of testers."

It was a privilege to be part of the team of Co-designers on the project. By including those with vision loss in the process of refining a product our community will use, the team has raised the bar for others in the field. There should be "nothing about us without us," as the saying goes, and the project has the unique distinction of being proactive and inclusive from the beginning. Thank you so much for listening to my feedback and making it clear I was valued by treating me as a peer and not a lab rat.  I'm proud to be associated with this project, and wish all products and services aimed at the vision loss community would similarly include us from design to manufacture to release."

This is an app with the potential to revolutionize travel for blind people by integrating indoor and outdoor navigation. It has been developed using a high degree of co-designing from end users and this attention to user experience and input is demonstrated in the quality of the app.

"Through my participation with the Olin College Engineering Program I have acquired a deeper understanding of the development of an inclusive navigation app. As an individual who is blind I appreciate the opportunity to experiment with the app’s features. It is important to be an active part of the process and to know my opinions are valued The team has made accessibility at the start a fundamental foundation of the program."

"[This app] can empower so many people instantly. They don’t have to deal with long wait times compared to other apps in this area. .. I had a wonderful time working on this app in the summer of 2023. I got the opportunity to learn SwiftUI which I never used before and I got to work with an amazing team."

As a blind developer, I can attest to the inclusivity and dedication of [the] team in every aspect, from taking care of their team to ensuring the needs of end-users are met. It's inspiring to see such commitment to accessibility and inclusivity in technology development.

"As part of the development team, I am impressed with the app and it’s purpose.  I also am proud to work with a team of professionals who understand the needs of the visually impaired and helping to put the control back into the hands of us users to customize the app according to our own needs with quick and simple concepts."

"I had a fantastic experience participating in the codesign program for the app. It was really rewarding to work alongside university students, contributing to the development of an application that helps blind people navigate their environment. The weekly guest speakers provided valuable insights into the world of app development and accessibility, offering diverse perspectives on their life experiences and professional work. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this program and feel proud to have contributed to such a meaningful project."

"I am blind and have a mild brain injury, that further affects spacial recognition and orientation abilities. The navigation accuracy of app makes it possible for me to find my way without the need for sighted assistance. Navigation of mapped environments, including outdoor navigation, would make my every-day life a lot easier. I really have appreciated the co-design programs, with the opportunities for co-work with the developers and group discussions with other app users."

Our work has been supported by an NSF grant from the Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate.

VentureWell funded an immersive educational experience at Olin in which 34 students (over two-years) did technology development, entrepreneurial work, and human-centered design on the navigation technology.

The Peabody Foundation of Plymouth, MA supported our work through four one-year grants.