ಅಂಧ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ಅನುಕೂಲಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸಾರಿಗೆ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ, ದೆಹಲಿಯ ಐಐಟಿ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಿಐಝೆಡ್ ಇಂಡಿಯಾ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯ ಸಹಯೋಗದಲ್ಲಿ 'ಧ್ವನಿ ಸ್ಪಂದನ' ಯೋಜನೆಯನ್ನು ಅನುಷ್ಠಾನಗೊಳಿಸಿದೆ.
00:02So primarily this is for visually impaired people to board public buses without assistance.
00:10Normally if they have to board a public bus, they face two challenges.
00:15They do not know the route number of the bus that is approaching.
00:19And they have to always ask some other passenger, co-passenger for the route number.
00:24And even if they get to know the route number, they cannot identify where the entry door of the bus is.
00:30This is a pretty unique challenge, especially in countries like ours,
00:34where the buses are not always able to come and stop in the bay.
00:38They stop one behind the other or some distance and they need to move to that distance.
00:44So this was a very unique problem and our solution is globally a unique solution.
00:50IT Delhi has a patent on this solution.
00:52And what we essentially do is, through a radio frequency communication between the user device and the bus,
01:00we collect all the route numbers, which the user device speaks out the route numbers.
01:05If the route number is of interest, then they have to press the select button.
01:08There are only two buttons, query, to get the route numbers, select, to select the route number that was last spoken.
01:15Once they press the select button, then the bus starts speaking what the route number is.
01:19And that gives the audio cue for the person to locate where the entry door is and board the bus.
01:25And they can keep on pressing select.
01:27And each time they press select, it will actually speak.
01:30So, of course, the device was originally developed for people with blindness.
01:35But this can be used by even other people who just need more time to board the bus.
01:39Because when the bus unit speaks, the driver actually gets alerted that somebody with special needs want to board the bus.
01:47So very older people or somebody who is on crutches or even pregnant women who just need more time to board the bus can also use the device.
01:55Primarily, they can see the route number.
01:57They can also see where the entry door is.
01:58But they want to alert the driver that I want to board.
02:02So it has applications beyond blind.
02:05Though today's focus of the today's launch event was blind because that was the primary objective.
02:10But we see this enabling buses to become more inclusive.
02:15So this is a project now in Mysore where we have already equipped 200 buses.
02:20180 buses are operational.
02:22Another 20 will be operational in a week.
02:24And in Bangalore where we are doing 500 buses under support from corporates.
02:31Here the support has come from GIZ.
02:34And there the support has come from Continental.
02:38Our partner here is SVIM, which is actually a major NGO in this space.
02:45And they have a big role in playing both getting enrolling the users, training the users, distributing the devices.
02:52So right now the device distribution is happening to some 75 users today.
02:58But we will distribute these devices to a lot more people over the years once the bus usage starts.
03:04How many people use the device?
03:08They will start using because till now buses did not have so they can't use the device.
03:13Now that the buses have been equipped.
03:16In Bangalore, because on 100 buses, we have installed it almost 3 weeks back.
03:22So now 10 users in Bangalore are daily using the buses.
03:25But more people will start using as more buses become operational.
03:31Minor technical problems.
03:32Some of the problems are coming because of the vibration of the bus.
03:36So we need to, certain parts, the way they are fixed inside, they need to be improved.
03:42Another minor problem that is coming more in Mysore because the roads are small.
03:47It also detects the bus going in the opposite direction.
03:50Okay.
03:50So, you know, Bangalore, the roads are much wider.
03:54So, we have to improve the differentiation between this direction.
03:58Already there is air.
03:59You get a much longer distance on the left side rather than on the right side.
04:05But if the bus is, let's say, road is only 7-8 meters, then the bus on the other side can also respond.
04:13Of course, normally the users know which direction the bus is coming.
04:17But by mistake, the user doesn't, he hears the number and presses.
04:22Then that bus starts speaking, which is on the other side.
04:25And the driver is waiting for somebody to board, but there is nobody to board.
04:28So, this problem has been reported twice in Mysore during the trials.
04:33So, we are going to now improve the directionality of the antenna so that it picks up signals mainly only from one side of the bus.
04:40But these are minor.
04:41Otherwise, the device actually has been well tested in Mumbai on 25 buses before we even started this major project here.
04:50And our objective is once we can prove it in Bangalore and Mysore,
04:54then we will approach the government to make it a regulatory requirement.
04:58See, in space where accessibility is, regulatory requirement is essential because now all new buildings have ramps.
05:08And they are ramps not because the builder wants to build ramps, but because government will not approve it unless there is a wheelchair access that is present.
05:16So, maybe not everyday people with wheelchair come, but they want to make the building inclusive.
05:21So, all today public buildings have to have ramps.
05:24Similarly, we will approach the government if we can successfully over the next six months,
05:30we are going to do extensive data collection of how users are using it,
05:33how they are finding it useful for their commute.
05:36And if we see a very positive response, which we are hoping it will happen,
05:40we will go to the government to make it a regulatory requirement on all buses.
05:45In Bangalore, we already have the support to equip all 6,000 buses in Bangalore.
05:50Already, the company has committed that they will support.
05:54And the Bangalore BMTC has also committed they will support us to putting it on all buses in Bangalore.
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