World leader in accessibility for blind people
12 October 2009 Christchurch is set to become a world leader in accessibility for blind and vision impaired people with cutting-edge technology to be launched in the city’s Cultural Precinct on Thursday 15 October, White Cane Day.
Designed and built by Darryl Sherwood of Christchurch, the SoundPost Orientation System enables a blind person to simply, affordably and effectively cross 30 metres of open space. A hand controller carried by the blind person, along with strategically placed base stations at important places, make up this ground-breaking technology.
As part of this world first, 60 SoundPost base stations will be placed throughout the Christchurch Cultural Precinct, including the Cathedral and Christchurch Square.
"This product will make quite a difference to many blind people who don't move around a lot as they find it very difficult to get back to their familiar environment,” says Darryl Sherwood founder of the company Povidi NZ Ltd.
Darryl, who is vision impaired, uses a white cane to keep himself safe and avoid obstacles, and a talking GPS system for getting to public places. “Once you’ve arrived at a place, this new technology helps orientate you. It lets you know where things like the door, the rest rooms, the ticket counter, the escalators and the elevators are.”
For example, a taxi drops you off outside the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu or The Court Theatre. The SoundPost Orientation System will direct you to the entranceway and then, when you’re inside, to the information desk or box
office.
Povidi began commercialisation of the product in late 2007 when Darryl, then a project manager in the research and development group at Humanware, was laid off as part of the restructure of the Christchurch company. Its research and development component moved to the new head office in Canada.
“Humanware is an icon in the field of technology products for blind and visually impaired people and like many of the R&D team, I was passionate about what we did here in Christchurch,” Darryl said. “When I was laid off, I decided to follow an idea I had been tinkering with for some time and I knew within a couple of months that the SoundPost system had some real value."
Povidi joined the Canterbury Development Corporation's Hi-Tech programme; formed relationships with many other Christchurch technology companies; and gained a Foundation for Research, Science and Technology grant and some angel investment that allowed the product to complete commercialisation.
"We are patented, user-trialled and approved as an accessibility aid by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind,” Darryl said. “With the support of Mayor Bob Parker and the City Council, we now have an urban city installation that allows us to show to universities, airports, other councils and many other organisations with public access how this product will change accessibility for blind people.
“We are now starting to market this product to blind people globally, as well as to key institutional players within the vision impaired sector. We are very export-focused and want to keep the heart of the innovation, marketing and production of this fundamental piece of technology here in New Zealand."