Wireless Emergency Communications

Co-Directors:  Helena Mitchell, PhD, Frank Lucia

Researchers: Jeremy Johnson, Salimah LaForce, Ben Lippincott, Ed Price

Description

Project engineers have developed a prototype of a promising technology approach to broadcast local and targeted delivery of alerts and warnings to wireless devices in accessible formats.  The mobile client software is capable of intelligently intercepting incoming short message service (SMS) alerts and rendering presentations that are both accessible and not impeded by various settings of the phone.  Customized presentation modes address accessibility for users who are blind/low vision, deaf and hard of hearing.  The software features:

• The ability to enable or disable the service;
• Change the location for alert monitoring;
• An alert attention signal that is identical to the EAS alert tone familiar to the hearing population;
• A feature that will recognize an incoming alert of critical importance and override any muted sound or vibration settings to ensure that the critical alarm is delivered.
• Vibration alarms that will notify the Deaf and hard-of-hearing population;
• An audio-oriented interface and text-to-speech reading of emergency alerts for the visually impaired.

Web address:  http://www.wirelessrerc.org/about-us/projects/development-projects/d3-wireless-emergency-communications.html