Sight on Call: Remote Services for the Blind and Low Vision

这是一项在现有移动电话基础设施上建立按需协助服务的建议。 类似于通用汽车安吉星为盲人和低视力者提供的服务，“随叫随到的视力”将提供来自 远程、分散的助理员工队伍。通过这个项目，盲人将为盲人带来新的能力和 中度低视力市场。如果该项目对数百万低视力者和老年人的生活产生影响 实现IT目标，意义重大--这是一种全新的、按需并以合理方式获得帮助的选择 成本。 该系统的用户将与现场操作员通话，同时发送他们周围环境和GPS位置的图像 通过配备摄像头的手机获取信息。然后，有视力的操作员可以在广泛的机动性中提供帮助 以及定位任务，如查找公共汽车站或街道地址，以及许多日常任务，如 购物和支付账单。 该项目的第一阶段将需要建造和测试该系统的原型。该系统将被考虑 如果受试者能够在要求的预定时间内使用原型完成一系列任务，则可行 限制，如果他们中的大多数报告说拥有该设备代表着显著的优势(就 时间、压力或不适)被迫依赖其他替代方法。在第二阶段所有密钥 将开发和测试服务组件，包括手机软件、远程服务中心 基础设施、操作员招聘和培训、交互协议开发和操作员控制台 发展。在每个阶段都将尽可能引入自动化，以提高操作员的工作效率和 更低的成本。然后，60名人体受试者将使用开发的系统进行大规模的真实世界测试。 这将推动额外的开发和测试，以最大限度地提高运营商的效率和用户满意度。 一旦证明可行，计划在年内推出一个全面提供随叫随到服务的服务局。 拟议项目期结束后6个月。高端服务的预计成本，目标客户为富人 根据目前呼叫中心的费用，中度到重度视力低下的老年人每分钟的使用费用不到1美元 指标。同时，提出了一种基于志愿者的分布式服务方案，该方案可以同时为用户提供相同的服务 无限制使用的估计费用为30美元/月。该项目是医疗保健风险资本感兴趣的项目 社区，如果和当某些里程碑实现的时候。

This is a proposal to build an on-demand assistance service atop the existing mobile phone infrastructure. Something like a GM OnStar service for the Blind and Low-vision, "Sight on Call" will provide help from a remote, distributed assistant workforce. With this project, Blindsight will bring a new capability to the blind and moderate low-vision market. The impact on the lives of the millions of low-vision and elderly, if the project meets it goals, will be significant - an entirely new option for getting assistance on-demand, and at reasonable cost. Users of the system will speak to live operators while sending images of their surroundings and GPS location information via a camera equipped cell phone. Sighted operators can then assist in a wide range of mobility and orientation tasks such as finding a bus stop or street address, as well as many daily tasks such as shopping and paying bills. Phase I of the project will entail building and testing a prototype of the system. The system will be considered feasible if subjects are able to complete a range of tasks with the prototype within demanding predefined time limits and if a majority of them report that having the device represents a significant advantage (in terms of time, stress or discomfort) over being forced to rely on other alternative methods. In Phase II all key components of the service will be developed and tested including cell phone software, remote service center infrastructure, operator hiring and training, interaction protocol development and operator console development. At each stage automation will be introduced when possible to increase operator productivity and lower cost. 60 human subjects will then carry out large scale real world testing with the developed system. This will drive additional development and testing to maximize operator efficiency and user satisfaction. Once proved feasible, a full-scale service bureau providing the Sight on Call service is planned to launch within 6 months of the end of the proposed project period. Estimated cost for the premium service, targeting affluent seniors with moderate to severe low vision, is under $1 per minute of use, based on current call center cost metrics. In parallel, a volunteer-based distributed service is proposed, which can provide the same service at an estimated cost of $30/month for unlimited use. The project is of interest to the health care venture capital community if and when certain milestones are achieved.