Hello Folks,
Sorry for barging in like this and not participating earlier. Was extremely tied up.
Went through the entire thread, and here is the summery.
The project is to provide digital assistance to visually disabled person digital locational and guidance system.
The system should be simple to implement. it should be low cost. is simple to use. should be maintenance free should be expandable? should be commercially viable?
Here is what I suggest.
Design a simple Blutooth transmitter. (Very sort range) The transmitter can be programmed to give a fix data (Location info and stuff) The transmitter periodically broadcast the programmed data. (every second/minute?) The transmitter can be fixed at the road junctions or on buses/trains or any other public transport.
After going through the difficulties faced by visually challenged persons as put forward by Krishnakant, the difficulties are finding the location info / bus/train info. for the sort distances there is no issues as he/she will get the assistance from the people around.
Now the visually challenge person can have simple Blutooth device capable of receiving the digital location / bus / train info broadcast from the transmitter(s).
Using Blutooth will help extend the possibility of interactivity in the future.
The exact details can be worked out at the design stage of the project. HTH With regards,