ChipMaps

An inclusive navigation guide that provides personalized support and resources for people with disabilities, language barriers, and mainstream students to navigate campus life and academics.

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Inspiration

The inspiration behind building this project comes from the team's personal experiences and observations. Some team members have English as a second language and have faced difficulties navigating the campus due to the language barrier. Similarly, some team members have observed that the campus is not as accessible for people with disabilities and believe that more resources should be available to them. Finally, due to the large international student body population, having more language options is essential for a navigation application to serve all students equally. The team hopes that this app will bridge the gaps and provide the necessary support for students with diverse needs, ensuring an inclusive environment for all.

What it does

The app includes various features such as a text-to-speech navigation application, which helps students with visual or hearing impairments navigate campus using spoken directions, as well as a language translation feature to help non-native English speakers communicate with their peers and professors. The app also includes a Central Michigan University-centered application that provides campus maps and other useful information specific to the university. Additionally, the group proposes building braille-guided pavements throughout the campus to help visually impaired students navigate independently.

How we built it

To build this app, our team leveraged Google Maps API to access real-world location data and provide accurate navigation instructions to users. We localized the navigation radius to only within Central Michigan University premises, ensuring that academic buildings could be taken as a reference to navigate the campus. This helped to create a more user-friendly interface and reduce confusion when trying to locate specific buildings or facilities. We also incorporated a language translation feature into the app, enabling students with language barriers to communicate effectively with their peers and professors. Finally, we proposed the idea of building braille-guided pavements throughout the campus to assist visually impaired students in navigating independently. Overall, our team worked tirelessly to ensure that the app was accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly, catering to the diverse needs of all students at Central Michigan University.

Furthermore, the team has also incorporated features that assist people with color blindness, such as using contrasting colors for the text and background to enhance readability. Additionally, the team proposed to add text-to-speech functionality to assist people who have a vision or hearing impairment in navigating the app with ease. These features not only improve the overall accessibility of the app but also reflect our team's commitment to ensuring that every student at Central Michigan University has equal opportunities to succeed.

Challenges we ran into

During the development of the app, our team encountered several challenges. One of the significant challenges was localizing the map provided by Google Map API and providing accurate guiding paths in reference to Central Michigan University's location.

Another concept that the team really stressed on was how to finance and plan the budget to include braille-guided sidewalks. This was particularly challenging as it requires a collaborating with the university administration and other relevant parties to secure funding and plan the construction process. Our team proposed various fundraising ideas, such as seeking donations from alumni, crowdfunding, and applying for grants. We also plan to collaborate with the university's facilities management team to determine the best locations for the braille-guided sidewalks and ensure that they met safety and accessibility standards.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

As a team, we are proud of several accomplishments that we were able to achieve during the development of this app. One of the significant accomplishments was that we were able to create a physical model of how we wanted the braille-guided pavement to look like. This allowed us to showcase our idea to the university administration and other relevant parties, making it easier to secure funding and plan the construction process.

Another accomplishment that we are proud of was the development of the application's user interface (UI). Our team worked tirelessly to create a user-friendly and accessible interface that catered to the diverse needs of all students at Central Michigan University. This required extensive research and testing to ensure that the app met the highest accessibility standards and was easy to use for everyone.

Finally, we are proud of developing a fully functioning program that lets users navigate the Central Michigan University campus with ease. We also plan to incorporate several features, such as text-to-speech navigation and language translation, to make the app more accessible to all users.

What we learned

Through the development of this project, we learned several valuable lessons that will stay with us for a lifetime. One of the significant takeaways from this project was the realization that we have the potential to make a positive impact on a campus, town, state, and national level. By working collaboratively and leveraging our unique skills and experiences, we were able to create a product that will improve the lives of students with disabilities and language barriers at Central Michigan University.

Additionally, this project taught us the importance of perseverance and the power of teamwork. Despite the challenges we faced, we remained committed to our goals and worked diligently to overcome any obstacles that came our way. This experience taught us the value of hard work, dedication, and persistence, and we are proud of what we accomplished as a team.

What's next for ChipMaps

The development of this project has been a significant milestone for our team, and we are excited about its potential to make a positive impact at Central Michigan University. However, we recognize that there is still much work to be done, and we are committed to continuing to improve and expand the project in the future.

One of the next steps for the project is to collaborate with the university administration and facilities management team to ensure that the braille-guided sidewalks are constructed and installed as soon as possible. We will also continue to work on improving the app's user interface and adding new features that make it even more accessible and user-friendly for all students.

In addition, we plan to expand the app's reach beyond Central Michigan University and make it available to other universities and organizations across the country by participating in this year's New Venture Competition at Central Michigan University. We believe that this app has the potential to make a significant impact on the lives of students with disabilities and language barriers, and we are excited about the opportunity to share it with a broader audience.

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