SonarVision is a pedestrian navigation app designed to guide blind or visually impaired people with an accuracy of 30 centimeters.

Here are our key features:

• Ultra-precise navigation, audio direction guidance, and automatic alerts for crosswalks, median islands, and stairs.

• Several ways to create routes:

  • Automatic Routes

  • The SonarVision editing platform

  • Record a Track

• Ultra-precise navigation in the city with the Visual Positioning System and in rural areas with GNSS RTK.

• Add custom instructions anywhere along a route.

Seeing SonarVision in action is a good place to start—here’s a short video of Alexandre driving through Paris with the app:

Quick Start

Here are 3 steps to get started with SonarVision:

1. Download SonarVision on your iPhone and create an account. Why isn’t SonarVision available on Android yet?

2. Create a route between two destinations by recording a track or on the platform with the help of a friend or family member.

3. Start navigation to be guided with high precision along this route. With the SonarVision editing platform, you can fix any issues you encounter with the help of a friend or family member.

iOS Compatibility

SonarVision is only available on iOS. Why isn’t SonarVision available on Android yet?

If your iPhone is too old, you’ll most likely have trouble running SonarVision smoothly. Here’s a summary:

• All SonarVision features are available on the iPhone XS and later models.

• Some features should be compatible with older iPhones, but iOS 16 or later is required.

• For the best experience with SonarVision, we recommend 12th-generation iPhones or newer, including the iPhone SE (2022).

Precise geolocation systems

To use SonarVision, you’ll need a precise positioning system.

In urban areas, the most effective ystem is the Visual Positioning System, known as VPS. This system compares what your smartphone’s camera sees with reference images taken by Google or Apple. These reference images are none other than the panoramic images available on Google Street View or Apple Maps.

In rural areas, areas with dense vegetation, or at night, the VPS will have more difficulty determining your location. Additionally, the VPS does not work in areas without panoramic images.

The solution is to get a GNSS RTK. This is a highly accurate GPS receiver that connects to SonarVision via Bluetooth and achieves an accuracy of 30 centimeters or less. However, this device is expensive and does not work well when you are near an “urban canyon” (very tall buildings that block satellite signal reception).

Prepare or generate an ultra-precise route

The last thing you’ll need to do is create or generate a route precise enough to guide you in the right direction on sidewalks, show you the start and end of crosswalks or stairways, and, of course, take you to your destination down to the meter.

We offer three tools. Each has its pros and cons.

Automatic Routes

If all pedestrian routes in your area are mapped on OpenStreetMap, you can generate automatic routes instantly. OpenStreetMap is like Wikipedia, but for maps.

More and more cities in France and around the world are being mapped on OpenStreetMap for use with SonarVision. To find out if your city is covered, check this map.

If the pedestrian routes in your city haven’t been mapped yet, you can:

• contribute to the mapping directly on OpenStreetMap, with the help of a sighted friend or family member. See Mapping on OpenStreetMap.

• contact your local OpenStreetMap group or association to encourage them to map these pedestrian routes. I invite you to visit the OpenStreetMap Contact Channels page.

• purchase a “SonarVision Mapping Package” to get expert pedestrian mapping of your neighborhood.

Pre-planned Routes

If you’d like to customize your routes so they match your exact needs, you can create and edit pre-planned routes using our online publishing platform, with the help of a sighted friend or family member. To give your friend or family member access to your account, simply share your email address and password with them.

This method allows you to choose a specific sidewalk or crosswalk and set your destinations exactly at the front door you’re looking for.

This method requires teamwork with a sighted family member or friend. You can add locations and request routes in the app, and your family member or friend can view and edit them on the platform.

See the following article for a complete tutorial: Create a Good Route.

We have a complete playlist of tutorials on YouTube.

Record a Track

You can record a GPS track in SonarVision using our precise positioning systems. This allows you to walk the route once—with or without an escort—and then convert it into a route by associating a starting point and a destination with it.

We recommend that you always have a loved one review the route generated from a track on the platform to correct any minor errors that may occur when you hesitate during recording.

Learn more by reading the article Recording a Track

Conclusion

Now that you’re familiar with the main tools available in SonarVision, I invite you to try creating your first route—if possible, using stereo headphones that don’t block your ears.

Use the beeps to stay on course; they guide you in the right direction. A beep on the left means you should turn left; a beep on the right means you should turn right.

The voice instructions give you an idea of what to expect in 15, 50, or 100 meters. However, you should prioritize the beeps if you want to follow SonarVision’s virtual guidance lane exactly.

Finally, we urge you to take the utmost precautions while moving around and to always prioritize your own means of navigation under all circumstances.