NFB cs Tech Ideas for Conventions
First Identify Issues
The first step in any planning or design is to identify issues. Then we can come up with ideas on how to resolve these issues.
Issues from Convention that may have a Tech solution
Where am I? Constant ask where you are and where is my destination. Braille signs require tactile feedback and in a crowded enviroment this can be a problem.
Noise level since everyone is asking the same questions pretty much over and over.
Running into islands of furniture in effort to get to wall for braille feedback.
A flurry of apologies for entaglements in effort to locate destination.
Is escalator up or down?
Where is restroom?
Where is elvators.
What booth is that?
Trying to get to table to feel braille, without being pushy.
Finding the Braille that names Organization vs table id.
Signing into Job Fair
Navigational reminders
- Hallways or Alcoves with numerous meeting rooms Indicators needed Seems obvious what rooms are down this hallway?
Technologies and possible solutions
- Beacons - Now these seem practical for directional information. Be like human Barkers are currently doing. Only thing this is more technical and ranges vary by types. See Beacons for more details.
qrCode technology - Simplier to implement and already supported by OS of Apple and Android. Requires line of sight.See qrcodes Here is a wiki article
Categories of Ideas
Registration Table (NFB, Divisions) - Simply email them their personal qrCode a couple days to Event. Now they show qrCode from email and the camera scans it they can them pay or prove they paid. Either way. Also a qrCode to register for first timers.
Job Fair Click on the link for details.
Exihibit Hall Locating Booths and Identifying current tables.
General Session Hall - Ability to find your section of seating with the least amount of disruption.
Navigation Hallways - Locating meeting rooms, elevators bathrooms, and other amenities.,
Smart Phone AppAn app with the capabilities to solve the issues and be easy to use, and cost effective to implement. This will be an evolutionary process over many years. Click on the link for more details.
*** Documentation Notes
This matter and idea was brought up at the NFB Computer Science Meeting2023 by Lewis Wood. I am preliminarily setting up this repo on my github.com. Now if at a later date NFB CS creates an Organizational Repository Account I will transfer this repo over to them. Please excuse any bad grammer. I am a developer and not a writer. Feel free for anyone to submit changes to this repo. Email me or create a repo issue.
This web site is a simply TypeScript app that generates the Html from markdown. Why did I choose markdown? I wanted everyone of all technical and non-technical abilities contribute. For my fellow blind documenters or coders, this repo is MIT License so copy freely and customize it for your own document project you desire. I will from time to time enhance it, but I think this documentation/discussion approach is a very good one.