Mukana

Filed in archive Products on November 2, 2005

This well-designed product for the visually impaired is from Sauma (Design as a cultural interface), finland.
//MUKANA includes a cell phone, a wireless headset, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module and voice recognition software. The system takes account of the special needs of the visually impaired. Users can ask //MUKANA to tell them their location, to give information on what route to take to their destination or on the timetables of public transportation.

Paula Löppönen and Ville Tikka were responsible and like a fit to the wonderful claim "Design as a cultural interface" one is a designer and the other is psychologist.

The project has been realized in collaboration with the University of Art and Design Helsinki, the Technical Research Center of Finland (VTT) and the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (NKL).