Description of App
Designed by the MIT Assistive Technology Club in collaboration with Eric Santana + co-designers CurbToCar helps blind and low-vision users quickly and confidently find their rides using only their phone’s camera. Whether you’re meeting a rideshare, or a friend’s car, CurbToCar removes the guesswork between the curb and the car. CurbToCar was built for the last 10 feet. With smart computer vision and sound guidance, getting to your ride becomes faster, safer, and more independent.
Co-designed with blind users through the MIT Assistive Tech Club, CurbToCar was built from the ground up around accessibility, clarity, and independence. How it works Point your phone toward the pick-up area and CurbToCar uses object detection and real-time tracking to locate vehicles. With continuous audio feedback and distance estimation, the app guides you toward your car, helping you navigate without relying on sighted assistance.
Our favorite thing is user feedback, so please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or suggestions!
Comments
Cool idea
I take ride share in busy areas all the time! Will this app differentiate between vehicle make/model and/or Uber/lift signage?
Thomas, do you mainly use the app for
Main use the app for when someone is [picking you up? You are standing at the curb, swinging your phone back and forth, "looking" for your ride? What makes it better than what you used to do before the app came along, back when someone was coming to pick you up?
How many times have you used the app so far?
What is the range? 100 feet? 50?
How well does the app work when your target car is partially blocked from view by other vehicles etc.?
I can see the app would be an advantage where it's raining or snowing, or whether the driver is shy and reluctant to honk or call your name through an open window, but I'm having trouble imagining why else someone might prefer using the app. Your thoughts?
Will it help you find a taxi?
In that case, you're not going to know things like license plate or colour of the car.
That's easy
When I call a cab, I make it clear to the dispatcher to be sure to tell the driver I'm blind and will be standing at a specific spot with my white cane, and if he wants me to hop in, he'll have to get my attention by shouting, e.g.., "blind man! Taxi!". Almost always works.
I was disappointed in this app
I have tried this app on a few occasions, and it has never gotten the car identification right, but I hope other folks can have better results. Based on what I read, you need to be within 10 or so feet of the car, and a lot of the time in my own personal experience, even when I am right in front of the car and have my phone pointing at it, the app fails to identify it.