New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Transit Innovation Partnership are testing an audio wayfinding technology that allows blind and low-vision bus riders to locate bus stops and track bus arrivals.
The NaviLens app, which can be downloaded on Android or iOS devices, uses an algorithm to translate visual signage into audio and allows customers to determine the accurate location and distance to the nearest bus stop. They can also learn when the next bus will arrive, know how crowded the bus is (if the necessary sensor technology is onboard), and be directed onto the bus when it pulls up to the stop.
