A GPS system for the Blind and visually impaired

A revolutionary system that uses GPS and digital maps to help blind persons find their way in urban and rural areas.

Trekker users can pinpoint exactly where they are, learn about area attractions, and find out how to get to specific destinations. GPS lets them know their location, anywhere in the world, with continually growing precision.

Fitting in the palm of the hand, Trekker offers the visually impaired greater freedom, raising their confidence in their ability to travel near or far, for business or pleasure. It also helps them access and enjoy the most valuable and interesting opportunities their surroundings have to offer.

"Trekker gets me where I'm going." Trekker helps guide the visually impaired through their environment. It complements existing aids (white canes and guide dogs). It does not replace them. Sleek and discreet, Trekker provides information in the most natural way possible and allows users to record both vocal and written notes.

A wide variety of maps are available covering most Western countries. Maps can be ordered by phone or email and delivered by download (FTP), Compact Disk or Compact Flash™ cards. User-friendly Trekker employs off-the-shelf hardware for GPS input. Trekker is fully upgradable, so it can expand to accommodate new hardware platforms and more detailed geographic information. The Maestro Option: A full range of functions in the palm of your hand. The system can be enhanced with the Maestro applications, which provide access to indispensable functions of a PDA: agenda, text documents, vocal notes, contact directory, Daisy reader (Victor Reader Pocket), and soon, media player, email manager, calculator, choice of a second language.

More about Maestro

Main features:

• Real-time information detection (Intersections and Point of Interest)
• Real-time/offline map browsing (Route Preview)
• Route planning and recording (Guiding Rules)
• Flexible level of vocal information
• Vocal Point of Interest creation
• Access to GPS status information
• Weight: 600 g (1.3 lbs)
• Size (W'H'D): 87mm (3.4") x 134mm (5.26") x 27mm (1")

Trekker 3.0 contains a wide range of new and improved features:

1. Handling multiple maps
   • Keep several maps on the same storage card.
   • Choose which ones to activate (up to 4 maps). The user can create routes, navigate, search Points of Interest (POIs), and browse in all modes, seamlessly, from one area to the other.
   
   
2. Bigger regional maps
   • Wider areas.
   • Far fewer maps are now required. For example, the US is covered in 25 maps, the UK and Ireland in 4 maps, and Canada in 2 maps.
   • Flexible areas: New areas are divided into regional maps. This provides flexibility when creating map combinations suited to each user's needs.
   
   
3. Improvement of the POI database structure
   
   New database structure provides a better POI search engine:
   • Use any field as search criteria (e.g. postal code).
   • Use multiple criteria (e.g. category and postal code).
   • Search by distance. This function is also available from the Quick Route destination dialog.
   
   
4. New database structure for Personal POIs
   
   Trekker 3.0 handles Personal POIs in an independent and indexed database structure. The end result is:
   • More efficient searching for POIs and the ability to search using multiple criteria (by category and postal code for example).
   • Backup of Personal POIs on a PC.
   • Standard format (CSV) allows POI databases to be shared with other users.
   • Personal POIs can be organized into categories.
   • Easy conversion of Personal POIs from previous Trekker systems to new database structure.
   
   
5. Open structure for external sources of POIs
   
   Databases containing complementary sources of information such as publicly available Web sources, other users’ POIs or locally provided bus stops can be imported into Trekker through the Map Manager. These databases should follow a specific CSV format.
   
   
6. PC tool to manage maps and POI transfers to the PDA
   
   Trekker provides a PC tool called Map Manager. This application manages the transfer of files between the PC and the Trekker PDA storage card. Files transferred can be maps, Personal POIs for backup, or third-party databases containing points of interest. Map Manager also allows conversion of Personal POIs recorded in previous versions to the new Trekker map format.
   
   
7. Routes in Motorized Mode
   • Providing turn by turn navigation instructions.
   • Browse a motorized route in summary mode (turn by turn).
   
   
8. Enhancements in Routes (pedestrian or motorized)
   • When a route is activated, the starting direction is announced.
   • Pressing CTRL-WAI provides the next instruction and distance to it when a pedestrian or motorized route is activated.
   
   
9. Free Mode improvements
   • Automatic guidance to a POI.
   • Use Trekker in Free Mode in areas without map.
   • Latitude and longitude in decimal values.
   
   
10. Browsing mode
    • Offline browsing can be started from an address.
    
    
11. Improved system information
    • City name announced in the following situations: at start, when entering the city, when asking "Where Am I" in Motorized Mode. This information is also available on demand through a shortcut.
    • Altitude.
    • Roundabout announced when mapping and when describing the intersection
    • Comprehensive information shortcuts on the numerical keypad: speed, heading, city name, altitude, latitude and longitude, number of satellites in view.
    • More efficient Where Am I, GPS Status and Route Information messages.
    • Select the desired dictionary language for street terms. For example, the term "ST" is replaced by "Saint" if the French dictionary is selected and "Street" if English is selected.
    • Shortcut to reset user positioning. This can be used in case Trekker is unable to locate the user properly.
    
    
12. Conversion of POIs saved in previous Trekker versions
    • The old (personal) POIs converted to the new format match the original position.