Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
29 results found in wayfinding.
- BLE Beacon (Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon, iBeacon, Bluetooth Beacon)
- A BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon is a small wireless transmitter that broadcasts a signal at regular intervals, which can be detected by nearby smartphones to determine a user's indoor location. In…
- Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon (BLE Beacon, iBeacon, Bluetooth Beacon)
- A small, low-power wireless transmitter that broadcasts Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals at regular intervals. In accessibility contexts, BLE beacons are widely used for indoor navigation systems fo…
- Cognitive mapping (Mental mapping, Spatial cognitive map)
- Cognitive mapping refers to the mental process by which individuals construct, store, recall, and apply internal representations of their spatial environment to navigate and orient themselves. These m…
- Dead Reckoning (Inertial Navigation, Pedestrian Dead Reckoning, PDR)
- Dead reckoning is a navigation technique that estimates a user's current position by tracking their movement from a known starting point, using data from inertial sensors such as accelerometers and gy…
- Environmental Legibility (Legibility of the Environment, Spatial Legibility)
- The ease with which people can perceive, understand, and form mental maps of a physical environment in order to orient themselves and navigate through it. Coined by urban planner Kevin Lynch, legibili…
- GPS (Global Positioning System, GNSS, Satellite Navigation)
- The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information to receivers on Earth. For accessibility, GPS is foundational to wayfinding apps …
- GPS Navigation (Satellite Navigation, GNSS Navigation)
- GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation uses satellite signals to determine a device's location and provide directions to a destination. For people with disabilities, GPS navigation apps on smartph…
- GoodMaps
- GoodMaps is an accessible indoor navigation platform that provides detailed indoor maps and turn-by-turn navigation for blind and low-vision users in buildings such as airports, transit stations, hosp…
- Landmark (Navigation Landmark, Environmental Landmark)
- A distinctive environmental feature used as a reference point during navigation and wayfinding. In Orientation and Mobility training for people with visual impairments, landmarks are categorized by th…
- Landmark Knowledge
- A type of spatial knowledge involving the recognition and memory of distinctive features or objects in an environment that serve as reference points for navigation. Landmarks are fixed objects at spec…
- Last-Few-Meters Problem (Last 10 Meters Problem, Last Mile Problem (Navigation))
- The navigation challenge that occurs when GPS or other positioning systems bring a person with a visual impairment to the general vicinity of their destination (typically within 5-10 meters) but canno…
- Localization (Position Estimation, Indoor Localization, User Localization)
- Localization is the process of determining a user's position within an environment, typically using a combination of sensors such as GPS, inertial measurement units, BLE beacons, Wi-Fi signals, or com…
- Microsoft Soundscape (Soundscape)
- Microsoft Soundscape was an accessible navigation app developed by Microsoft Research that used spatialized 3D audio to help blind and low-vision users build awareness of their surroundings. Rather th…
- Multimodal Map (Audio-Tactile Map, Interactive Tactile Map)
- A map that conveys spatial information through multiple sensory channels simultaneously, typically combining tactile elements with audio output and sometimes visual or haptic feedback. Multimodal maps…
- Navilens
- A navigation and information system that uses specially designed colorful QR-like codes that can be detected by a smartphone camera from long distances and wide angles, without requiring precise aimin…
- Particle Filtering (Sequential Monte Carlo, Particle Filter)
- Particle filtering is a probabilistic localization technique that estimates a user's position by maintaining a cloud of weighted "particles," each representing a possible location. As new sensor data …
- Point of Interest (POI)
- A point of interest (POI) is a specific location or feature in a physical environment that is relevant to a user's navigation or understanding of their surroundings. In accessible wayfinding systems f…
- Points of interest (POI, Landmarks)
- Specific locations in the environment that are useful or relevant to a user, such as shops, restaurants, transit stops, public buildings, and other named places. In accessible navigation for people wi…
- Pre-journey Learning (Pre-visit Spatial Learning, Virtual Pre-exploration)
- The practice of learning about an environment's spatial layout before physically visiting it, typically through tactile maps, verbal descriptions, or virtual exploration tools. For people who are blin…
- Route Description (Verbal Route Description, Navigation Instructions)
- A verbal or written account of how to travel from one location to another, including directions, landmarks, warnings, and environmental features. Research with blind and partially sighted travelers ha…