Audience: Blind or low‑vision students (middle school through adult)
Skills: Indoor navigation, spatial awareness, cane + tech integration
Tools Needed: iPhone with Clew installed, long cane, safe indoor route
Lesson: Learning to Use Clew for Indoor Route Retracing
Lesson Overview
Clew is a free iPhone app that helps you retrace a route indoors.
You walk a path once, and Clew guides you back along that same path using sound, vibration, and spoken cues.
Clew does not use maps, GPS, Wi‑Fi, or beacons.
It works in any building because it relies on the path you walked.
Your cane provides safety and obstacle detection.
Clew provides directional alignment.
Together, they support confident indoor travel.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:
- Download and open the Clew app
- Allow necessary permissions
- Hold the phone correctly for AR tracking
- Record a route independently
- Retrace the route using Clew’s cues
- Use cane skills throughout the process
- Explain what Clew can and cannot do
Step 1 — Download the Clew App
- Open the App Store
- Tap Search
- Type “Clew”
- Select the app named Clew
- Tap Get
- Open the app once it installs
Note: Clew is iPhone‑only.
Step 2 — Allow Camera Access
When Clew opens for the first time, it will ask for permission to use the camera.
Tell the student:
“Clew uses the camera to track your movement. It does not record video — it only uses the camera to understand the path you walk.”
Tap Allow.
Step 3 — Phone Positioning
Before recording a route, teach the student to hold the phone:
- upright
- at chest height
- camera facing forward
- steady, not swinging
This is essential for Clew’s AR tracking.
Cue:
“Cane leads. Phone observes.”
Step 4 — Record a Route
Choose a simple, safe route such as:
- hallway → classroom
- classroom → office
- seat → door
Have the student:
- Open Clew
- Tap Record Route
- Walk the path using solid cane skills
- Stop recording at the destination
Reinforce:
- “Your cane tells you what’s on the ground.”
- “Clew is only tracking the path — it does not detect obstacles.”
Step 5 — Retrace the Route
Now guide the student through returning to the starting point.
- Tap Return to Start
- Follow Clew’s cues:
- Haptic taps for turns
- Audio beeps for alignment
- Voice prompts for direction
Encourage the student to:
- Pause if unsure
- Re‑center the phone
- Sweep with the cane
- Continue when aligned
Step 6 — Troubleshooting Practice
Teach the student what to do if:
Clew says “You’re off route”
- Stop
- Re‑center the phone
- Sweep with the cane
- Slowly adjust direction
The phone tilts
- Bring it back to upright
- Keep it steady
The student drifts
- Use the cane to find the wall or landmark
- Realign with Clew’s cues
Step 7 — Reflection and Understanding
Ask the student:
- “What did Clew help you do?”
- “What did your cane tell you that Clew didn’t?”
- “When would Clew be useful in your school or home?”
This builds independence and decision‑making.
What Clew CAN Do
- Retrace a route you walked
- Guide you back with sound, vibration, and voice
- Work in any building
- Handle multiple turns
- Support spatial memory
- Help you return to a seat, office, or classroom
What Clew CANNOT Do
- It cannot guide you to a new destination
- It cannot save routes after the app closes
- It cannot detect obstacles
- It cannot replace cane skills
- It does not use maps
Student‑friendly explanation:
“Clew doesn’t know the building. It only knows the path you walked.”
Assessment Checklist
The student can:
- Download and open Clew
- Hold the phone correctly
- Record a route independently
- Retrace the route safely
- Interpret Clew’s cues
- Use cane skills throughout
- Explain Clew’s limitations
- Identify real‑life situations where Clew is helpful
Teacher Notes
- Clew is a reverse‑route tool, not a navigation system
- Works beautifully for returning to a known point
- Reinforces spatial memory
- Builds confidence in unfamiliar buildings
- Must always be paired with cane skills