Elevator Touchscreen Voice Mode for Visually Impaired Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers with visual impairments face challenges in using elevators, escalators, and moving walkways due to the inability to see buttons or locate these systems within buildings, and those with mobility issues may struggle with timing door openings and closings.
Innovation Solution
A touch screen interface for personnel movement systems that can operate in both non-voice and voice modes, allowing visually impaired users to navigate using vocal commands and tactile cues, with features like haptic indicators guiding them to voice mode activators and providing audio feedback during transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch screen interface is used for elevator operation, then the ease of operation is improved for sighted users, but visually impaired users cannot locate or operate the buttons
Solution Approach 1:
The touch screen interface is segmented into distinct functional zones including a voice mode activator region and floor selection regions. This segmentation allows visually impaired users to locate and activate voice mode through a specific tactile region without needing to see the entire screen layout, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation for sighted users and detectability for visually impaired users.
Solution Approach 2:
Voice commands serve as an intermediary between the user and the floor selection function. Visually impaired users can activate voice mode through tactile detection of the voice mode activator, then use vocal commands to select floors without physically touching floor buttons, thereby enabling operation without visual detection of the interface elements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If voice mode is added to support visually impaired users, then accessibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The voice mode activator is merged into the existing touch screen interface structure, sharing the same physical substrate and control processor. This integration allows voice functionality to be added without requiring separate hardware components, thereby improving accessibility while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch screen interface is designed with multi-functionality, serving both traditional tactile button pressing for sighted users and voice command activation for visually impaired users. The same interface hardware supports multiple user groups and interaction modes, achieving versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If haptic indicators are added to guide visually impaired users, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic indicators provide self-service guidance to visually impaired users through tactile feedback generated by the touch screen itself. The system uses its existing display structure to create raised or textured regions that naturally guide users to the voice mode activator without requiring external guiding devices, thereby improving ease of operation with minimal additional complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A personnel movement system is provided and includes a personnel movement element to transport passengers from one location to another, a controller configured to control operations of the personnel movement element in accordance with received signals and a touch screen interface operably disposed at an entrance/exit of the personnel movement element. The touch screen interface is operable in at least a first mode and a second mode to send the signals to the controller and is configured to be toggled therebetween.