The city of Stockholm, Sweden is testing a navigation system which may eventually guide blind walkers around the city by cell phone. The system links a geographic information system (GIS) to a cell phone connected through Bluetooth technology to a GPS unit.

 The system locates the user and plots a path to the chosen destination using a detailed GIS originally created by the city for street maintenance and traffic management. A synthetic voice alerts the user to upcoming turns and obstacles.

 The prototype for the system was completed in October 2006, and was tested by a dozen visually impaired users later that year. A new round of tests is anticipated during the summer of 2007. Full deployment of the system is expected by 2010.

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