EasyGo : human centric sensing by Android phones V

• Main Author: Teo, Soon Kiang
• Other Authors: School of Computer Engineering
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering::Computer applications::Life and medical sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/58921
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Smartphone has becoming a staple tool in human daily lives with more powerful specifications and sensors which have many possible potential. There are young people born with mild intellectual disability who require special attention in learning activities of daily living. With the aid of the modern smartphone with appropriate apps, it is possible to assist these people in improving their daily lives. The aim of this project is to produce an app on the Google Android platform as navigational tool that are easy to understand, user-friendly and helpful to these groups of users to travel from one location to another. In order to develop such an app, the EasyGo team liaises with a special school known as Metta School, which offer programs to mild intellectual disable students, in order to get better understanding of their needs. The team made a visit to the school and presented the ideas, scenario and an early prototype to the vice president of Metta School to gather feedback. The app was implemented to incorporate features such as Plan Management with Parental Controls to allow user’s parents or guardian to manage travel plans. For the main users, who are the students with intellectual disability, they make use of the modules with Google Map Integration, Compass, GPS Proximity Sensor and Sound Alert to help them with navigation with SMS Alert as risk prevention to alert parents in case of any emergencies. Upon testing with Metta School students and teachers, the team observed different behaviours between different students with MID which proves to be a challenge for EasyGo, due to their lack of attention span. The team also received more feedback such as emphasising on a sound mode where user with low attention span will be constantly prompted by the app without the need to actually look at the GUI of the app. The team also met with challenges such as inaccurate GPS readings and limitations with Google Maps Direction APIs. The team also consider that offline maps, advance databases, sheltered location detection and transport detection could be a future consideration for the system. In conclusion, the EasyGo team believes that the project has been a huge stepping stone in helping people and considers the project a success to certain amount of extends. The team also hope that it would be improved further in the upcoming futures to cater for more kinds of needy people.