Archive for the ‘Trekker and Maestro’ Category
Trekker and Maestro
(review date February 2007)
The Canadian branch of Humanware has developed two software products, Trekker and Maestro, which utilise the Dell Axim X51 PDA. They can be installed individually or, in the case of the unit reviewed here, with Trekker appearing in the Maestro menu.
In its original form, the PDA is operated via a touch screen. To allow access by a blind person, a purpose-built keyboard is secured by an elastic strap to the touch screen. The implications of this will be discussed when describing the Maestro.
The Eloquence speech synthesizer has also been installed and, while inflection is somewhat flat, speech is clear. A broad range of both speed and volume is available. The small, internal speaker is adequate for quiet settings. For noisy areas or where the output may disturb others, earphones can be used. During the Trekker evaluation, volume was adequate through a single earphone in very noisy areas.
Trekker
Work began over 15 years ago on harnessing GPS (global positioning system) technology as a navigational aid for people who are blind, well before such technology became commonly available as commercial products. Several examples are now on the market, greatly assisted by availability of mainstream consumer equipment. Of these, Trekker is the smallest and least expensive. It consists of a tiny GPS receiver, a PDA and a small battery-powered speaker. The GPS receiver sends information to the PDA via a Bluetooth wireless interface. The Trekker’s synthetic speech is sent to the speaker (or earphone if preferred) via a cable connected to its earphone outlet. A supplied shoulder strap houses all components but, depending on personal preference, they can be removed from it and carried separately.
Trekker on strap
The most basic way to use Trekker when walking is to have it automatically announce the street being travelled and the names of intersecting streets. By pressing relevant keys, extra information is available. This includes direction and speed of travel, altitude and current latitude and longitude. In this mode, nearby points of interest (POI) will also be announced. The user can add POIs to those included with the national map which is provided on an SD card as part of the Trekker package.
A more formal use is to have Trekker plot a route between two points. This can be done in either pedestrian or motorised mode which, depending on the route, can affect the chosen path. The user can then receive instructions during the journey. Another very helpful option is to “browse” the route offline, thereby familiarising oneself with it, including the distance.
Another option is to browse the map of a chosen area offline. This can be a very helpful way of learning about the layout of streets in an unfamiliar area.
Trekker can be used in areas not covered by its street map. This includes such diverse locations as rural properties, parks, educational campuses and other places involving areas of open space. In “free mode”, Trekker will report nearby points of interest and names of streets within 500 metres. In these areas, points of interest become very important, as Trekker can provide directions to a chosen POI.
The software does not cope well with some intersections involving roundabouts in browse mode, not announcing the names of cross streets. At times the software also shuts down completely, apparently due to something in the environment. Despite these limitations, Trekker has enormous potential as both an orientation and an educational tool.
In an educational context, its maps provide a great deal of information about layout of the built environment. This information could be very effectively augmented by use of raised line diagrams. DraftsMan and PictureBraille are two products relevant to raised line diagram production and are discussed elsewhere in this Newsletter.
It is crucial to appreciate that GPS technology is not infallible. In the best circumstances, accuracy of closer than 10 metres cannot be guaranteed. Varying atmospheric conditions and nature of surrounding buildings can affect performance. These variations were evident when using Trekker, especially in the vicinity of tall buildings, where it could get confused. Given those constraints, however, performance in such challenging environments as buses and trains was remarkably good.
Maestro
This comprises a suite of PDA (personal digital assistant) programs. Maestro differs from usual PDAs in that output is via synthetic speech, with no provision for a visual display. Its facilities include Calendar, Contacts, Email, Media Player, Text Notes, Victor Reader and Vocal Notes. The purpose of most is obvious by their titles. Victor Reader is an implementation of another of Humanware’s products, which provides access to DAISY books. Vocal Notes is a utility which takes advantage of the PDA’s sound recording facilities. Recordings can be made quickly and easily and, if desired, transferred to a computer.
Contact, Calendar and Emails can all be synchronised with Microsoft Outlook on a PC. Maestro does not send emails directly and they must be transferred to the PC to be sent.
Material written in Text Notes can also be synchronised with material on the PC. Files are saved in the Pocket PC format.
Microsoft ActiveSync is used to synchronise/backup Maestro files. Connection is made with a PC via a USB connection. This process was not attempted during the review due to logistical issues involving an existing ActiveSync partnership on the PC. However, documentation suggests that the process is straight forward.
The custom keyboard fitted to this product represents an ingenious implementation. Each key is precisely located so that when it contacts the touch screen, the required process is performed. The means of achieving text input deserves further explanation. It is done with the central keypad, which can behave as a telephone keypad or as a Braille keyboard. In telephone keypad mode, the process is similar to sending an SMS, but the Validate Key must be pressed once the required letter is reached. In Braille mode, six keys represent the six Braille dots. Each dot of a letter must be entered individually and the process is completed with the Validate Key. In either case, text entry will necessarily be quite slow. While adequate for short notes, this process does not lend itself to more lengthy writing. For more than incidental writing, an external Bluetooth or infrared keyboard would be highly desirable. Humanware can supply an infrared keyboard and Bluetooth keyboards are available from computer suppliers.
Given its small size, versatility and relatively low cost (compared to other speech output PDAs), Maestro has much to recommend it. For more than brief notetaking in a lecture situation, an external keyboard would be highly desirable.
Manufacturer Humanware
Phone (02)…
http://www.humanware.com
Cost Trekker $2,420
Trekker and Maestro $2,850
Infrared keyboard $120
