Dr Denise M Robinson

Access Technology & Education Services for Blind and Low Vision

Use Seeing AI and Compass to Navigate Inside Building 3 & 4

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Dr Denise

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Tech Lessons & Stories

Indoor Navigation for Blind Travelers Using iPhone Apps

Using Siri • VoiceOver • Compass • Seeing AI • O&M Skills: 3 & 4 of 9 Lessons

Use Dropped Pins to Navigate Inside Building navigating with cane
Use Dropped Pins to Navigate Inside Building

Use Seeing AI and Landmarks to Navigate Inside Buildings

Navigating indoors with an iPhone becomes a powerful skill when blind travelers learn to use Seeing AI, environmental landmarks, and directional awareness. This lesson builds on foundational mobility techniques by teaching students to identify key locations—such as bathrooms, offices, and exits—using visual recognition, text reading, and object identification. Students then use VoiceOver cues, Compass alignment, and consistent routes to move confidently between locations. With these tools, unfamiliar indoor spaces become structured, predictable, and navigable.

LESSON — Identify Key Locations Using Seeing AI (Bathroom, Office, Exit)

Purpose: Build reliable indoor landmarks using real-world identification instead of map-based pins.

The user says:
“Open Seeing AI.”

Then selects modes such as:

  • Short Text
  • Document
  • Product
  • Scene

The user scans the environment to identify:

  • Signs (Bathroom, Exit, Room Numbers)
  • Doorways and landmarks
  • Printed materials

VoiceOver reads detected text and descriptions.ment and hallway cues, which assists anyone aiming to use Dropped Pins for indoor building navigation.

The user pairs this information with physical landmarks such as:

  • Wall direction
  • Door placement
  • Hallway turns

Navigate Between Locations Using Siri, Compass, and Landmarks

Purpose: Use consistent routes and directional cues to travel between identified locations.

To return to the Main Room:
“Hey Siri, open Compass.”

The user aligns direction based on known orientation.

To locate the Bathroom or Exit:
The user uses:

  • Previously identified landmarks
  • Hallway structure
  • Door counts and turns

VoiceOver supports with:

  • Heading direction
  • Orientation feedback

The student follows consistent routes, reinforcing spatial understanding and independence.

Using Seeing AI on iPhone

What Seeing AI is

Seeing AI is a free app from Microsoft that uses your iPhone camera to:

  • Read text aloud
  • Identify objects and scenes
  • Recognize products and barcodes
  • Describe environments

It turns visual information into speech feedback in real time

Why it matters for blind users

Seeing AI supports:

  • Independent reading
  • Indoor navigation support
  • Identifying locations and objects
  • Understanding surroundings quickly

It is a support tool, not a replacement for O&M skills

Main features (channels) and how to use them

1. Short Text (fast reading)

Use for:

  • Signs
  • Door labels
  • Room numbers

How:

  • Open Seeing AI
  • Swipe to Short Text
  • Point camera toward text

It reads instantly as soon as text is detected

2. Document (longer reading)

Use for:

  • Papers
  • Handouts
  • Mail

How:

  • Swipe to Document
  • Hold phone above page
  • Listen for guidance:
    • “Move left”
    • “Move right”
  • Double tap to capture

Reads full document clearly

3. Scene (environment awareness)

Use for:

  • Understanding a room
  • Locating objects
  • Getting general layout

How:

  • Swipe to Scene
  • Point camera around slowly

Example output:

  • “Hallway with doors”
  • “Table and chairs”

4. Product (barcode scanning)

Use for:

  • Food items
  • Products
  • Bottles

How:

  • Swipe to Product
  • Move camera slowly
  • Listen for beep when barcode is found

Reads product name

5. People (optional)

Use for:

  • Detecting faces
  • Estimating distance

How to use Seeing AI for indoor navigation

Step 1: Identify locations

Use:

  • Short Text → read signs
  • Scene → understand layout

Example:

  • “Bathroom” sign
  • “Room 204”

Step 2: Build mental map

Combine:

  • What you hear from Seeing AI
  • O&M skills:
    • hallway direction
    • turns
    • landmarks

Step 3: Move with direction

Use:

  • Compass
  • Consistent routes
  • Landmark recall

Seeing AI helps identify
You move using orientation + memory

Important limitations

  • Does NOT give turn-by-turn indoor navigation
  • Requires:
    • good lighting
    • steady hand
  • Can misread complex environments

It supports navigation—it does NOT replace it

Best teaching strategy

Teach students to:

  1. Scan → Identify → Confirm
  2. Pair app feedback with physical landmarks
  3. Repeat routes until consistent

Quick commands (VoiceOver users)

  • Swipe left/right → change channels
  • Double tap → capture (Document)
  • Two-finger scrub → go back

Bottom line

Seeing AI helps users:

👉 Read
👉 Identify
👉 Understand

But independence comes from:

Combining it with O&M + directional awareness

iPhone Lessons

Accessibility by WAH