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Show : A Monday, Sept 26,2005: r 4. •WAYFINDER "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee." *^_ Deut. 5 : 1 2 ^ 95 E. 400 N. Logan 752-9673 iSii'coinbo 'Drink may be substituted for another side dish. / Oasis Books 753-8697 Customer Service Fun, Casual Environment Fantastic Benefits Free Satellite System And Programming Great Pay Join The Winning Team! Inbound Customer Service Representatives Join Convergys, the global leader in customer care, human resources and billing services today! • • • • • HS Diploma/GED required Strong communication skills Basic computer knowledge Competitive Pay & Benefits Full and Part-Time FREE Satellite Dish with Premium Programming* Corporate Discounts Paid & Unpaid Time-Off Variety of Shifts Call our recruiters today! 7 5 0 - 1 4 1 4 Ext USU-GDB7 Or apply online: www.convergys.greatjob.net Media Code: USU Job Code: GDB7 CONVERGYS . ••• • Outlhinking. Outdoing. WALK-INS WELCOME! 1525 North 600 East, North Logan •After 90 days DIRECTV. Convtirgys is an EOE M\F\D\V jampifs'News TheUtahStatesman Sports Academy — &Racquet Club- From page 7 The Wayfinder is not intended to replace other methods the blind use to get around, said Kulyukin. Its intent is to complement canes and seeing-eye dogs, since those methods do not help if you don't know the area. "USU accepts a couple of visually impaired students every year," Kulyukin said. "The first five or six months are hard because they don't know their way around campus and have to depend on guides who can see." The Wayfinder would allow them to be more independent. The Wayfinder is a bulky object attached to a baby carrier worn in front and uses headphones to deliver prompts to the user. The plan is to get it down to a size smaller than a fanny pack — less conspicuous and less cumbersome. "It's a prototype, so it's not the prettiest, but we're not fashion people," said John Nicholson, a computer science Ph.D. candidate working on the Wayfinder. Barath Ramaswamy, an electrical engineering master's student who graduated in June, also worked on the Wayfinder. He developed the hardware for the device. Kulyukin said he hopes to have the prototype ready for marketing in a year. Although the technology was initially for the blind, other markets have shown interest, he said. The Wayfinder could be used for architectural tours, amusement parks, conventions and emergency first responders. As it is, the device is still in the works. Demonstrating the Wayfinder on the Quad, Payne had to compensate for the device's navigation errors when it prompted her to turn too soon. "We still need to add orientation," Nicholson said, since the Wayfinder predicted another turn a bit too early. "It's a great start," Payne said. She said she has hope for Jamie (rane/jamieaane@cc.usu.edu A ROBOTIC SHOPPING CART is designed to assist the blind in navigating the aisles of a grocery store, It is one of several projects USU students are developing. the future of the Wayfinder in which the device can not only take her from point A to point B, but can also tell her about what she passes along the way. Payne is affiliated with the National Federation for the Blind. The device has already come a long way from its humble beginnings as a frame made of PVC pipe. "This was the 'Ghostbuster' device," said Kulyukin, demonstrating the awkward backpack. Payne thought it looked like a frame pack. The CSATL is thinking up other supplementary technologies to aid the blind. Aliasgar Kutiyanawala, an electrical engineering master's student, is working on another project in its infancy. "Ali is working on magic carpets," Kulyukin said. The idea is for tiny sensors to be placed under a carpet that can be read by a sensor at the end of a cane or on the RoboCart. The sensors can tell you where you are in a room. Maybe someday, Kulyukin said, a chip can be placed in a shoe instead of using a cane. The "smart surfaces" still have a long way to go, but the Wayfinder should be available to students on campus in a year. The system only has seven destinations so far, but eventually it will be able to navigate all over campus. -ella@cc.usu.edu Fitness f o r Fa Only $30 down, $30 per month I I L( l=> 9 1 ' J Guaranteed Results Group Fitness Classes • Yoga, ClaASt>s Mai Cltmts |