In 2000, 4 WPI students built a $400-per-intersection system to help blind pedestrians find crosswalk buttons. 26 years later, locator tones are standard features of accessible pedestrian signals across U.S. cities

Accessibility can sometimes depend on something as simple as being able to find a button. For blind and visually impaired pedestrians, locating the button that activates a crosswalk signal can be difficult when no sighted person is nearby. In 2000, a team of students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) worked on a low-cost solution intended to make that task easier and give blind pedestrians greater independence.

A Crosswalk Challenge for Blind Pedestrians

The project started with Larry Raymond, Worcester’s assistant director of human resources, who is himself blind. Raymond approached WPI because he needed an inexpensive and effective way to support blind people locate the buttons installed on street poles at intersections.

The challenge was straightforward but significant. At the time, the walk signal would not activate until someone pushed the button.


“The walk light only goes on when the button is pushed,” Raymond stated. “It’s not automatic. Often a blind person has to wait until a sighted person comes along and pushes the button. We need something to allow a blind person to locate the push button.”

“I strive to be as independent as possible,” mentioned Raymond, who uses a guide dog.

Four WPI Students Took on the Project

WPI assigned the project to four students working with faculty advisor Leonard Polizzotto, professor of practice and director of the WPI Center for Globalization of Technology.

The students were Matthew Geiger, a junior electrical engineering major from Stoughton, Mass.; Brian Laplume, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Leicester, Mass.; Jeremy Lynch, a senior electrical engineering major from Auburn, Mass.; and Rabin Tamang, a junior physics major from Brattleboro, Vt.

Polizzotto stated Raymond had contacted the school about a year earlier with his request.

“Larry Raymond called the school about a year ago and asked if there was a way WPI could help develop a device that would enable blind people to locate the button on street poles that makes the crossing sign illuminate,” Polizzotto cited

The students developed the project in the name “Crosswalk Button Locator.”

Research Shaped the Device

As per Polizzotto, the students surveyed blind people to know what they required and then incorporated that input into their design.

“The students did an outstanding job, surveying blind people to determine what they needed and then taking their input to come up with a product,” he stated.

The resulting system was designed to be inexpensive as well as practical. The estimated installation cost was $100 per pole, or $400 per intersection.

“The exciting aspect to what the students developed is that not only does it work, but it is very inexpensive. This will make it very attractive for cities to install, and it will result in a significant improvement in the safety and independent mobility of the visually impaired.”

How the Crosswalk Button Locator Worked

The invention used a transmitter-and-receiver system. A signal device could fit in a cane or on the collar of a guide dog, while the receiver was mounted on a light pole.

“What we’ve done is use a transmitter and a receiver system,” Polizzotto described. “The receiver consists of an antenna and beeper mounted on a light pole. The blind person carries the transmitter, which is activated manually or automatically, to signal the receiver.”

The device was made to supplement the existing crossing system rather than replace it. Worcester and other cities used flashing lighted signs, while some busy intersections also had a “chirping” sound indicating that the walk light was on.

Aiming to Improve Independence

For the students, the project had implications beyond the technical design of a fresh device. Tamang said the ability to find a crosswalk button more easily could impact the daily quality of life of visually impaired people.

“The project has a tremendous potential to help every party involved,” cited Rabin Tamang, one of the students who worked on the project. “It has major social implications involving more than just the visually impaired. Developing a better method for finding the crosswalk button can improve the quality of life for the visually impaired.”

The project therefore associated engineering with a specific community need identified by Raymond.

Plans to Take the Idea Further

Polizzotto and the students planned to market the device to cities in the country. They were also applying for a patent and researching possible manufacturing choices.

“I believe that we have a patentable concept with which we can start a company to make and sell this product-or we can license the technology,” he cited.

The team was scheduled to illustrate the invention at Worcester City Hall, at the corner of Main and Front streets. Raymond was anticipated to help with the demonstration.

A New Project for Worcester and WPI

The crosswalk initiative also resulted in the possibility of another collaboration between Worcester and WPI. Raymond proposed a separate idea involving the new Worcester Library.

The proposed project would use “talking signs” to support blind people navigate the library and locate services such as talking books. Polizzotto was recruiting another group of WPI students to work on that project.

The crosswalk button project started with a specific challenge experienced by a blind member of the Worcester community and became an effort involving students, faculty, and city personnel. Its proposed $400-per-intersection cost, transmitter-and-receiver design, and focus on independent mobility reflected the team's goal of developing a practical and affordable accessibility solution.

Source: ScienceDaily

FAQs:

Q1. What was the Crosswalk Button Locator?

The Crosswalk Button Locator was a system designed to help blind pedestrians locate buttons at street crossings. It used a transmitter and receiver to provide an audible signal.

Q2. Who developed the device?

The device was developed by four students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. They worked under the guidance of faculty advisor Leonard Polizzotto.