CaterPillar™

Patent-pending guidance for blind and low-vision visitors

CaterPillar™ is a patent-pending guidance system for visitors who are blind or have low vision. Spatially located audio cues help people orient, choose a path, and find exhibits, services and other points of interest in museums, visitor centers, attractions and other physical venues.

Guidance becomes part of the environment. Physical stations provide acoustic reference points along a planned route, helping visitors connect what they hear with where they want to go. CaterPillar™ works alongside standard white canes and the venue's other accessibility provisions. Its station-based configuration does not require a smartphone or a wearable.

How it works

Acoustic Spatial Guidance

CaterPillar™ stations are placed at decision points throughout a venue, including exhibit entries, path junctions, room exits, service locations and points of interest. A station emits a spatially distinct audio tick or pulse beacon. A visitor can turn toward the cue and use its location to understand the direction of a destination. These nonverbal orientation signals do not depend on the visitor reading a sign or understanding a spoken language.

Station-based acoustic signals

Physical stations at planned decision points provide audible reference points. The sound belongs to a location in the room, helping visitors relate a destination to the space around them.

Guidance without personal identification

The station-based guidance path does not require a wearable, a phone or identification of the visitor. People can use the environmental cues without enrolling in recognition or a membership program.

Nonverbal orientation cues

Audio ticks and pulse beacons provide direction without a spoken vocabulary. Where a project adds spoken instructions or interpretation, those can be delivered in the visitor's selected language through the appropriate system.

Cane-compatible

Visitors continue to use their usual white cane while acoustic cues support orientation and destination-finding. The guidance is designed as part of the complete accessible route.

Runs on QuickSilver® nodes

The guidance system uses the QuickSilver® computing foundation, with the speakers, station locations and control interfaces selected for the route. It shares the wider AV++® approach to deployment, maintenance and future upgrades.

Designed for the actual route

Station placement, cue audibility and behavior during an interruption are established for the venue. The project defines the operating conditions and the available guidance when a component or route is unavailable.

Stack relationship

CaterPillar™ in the AV++® Architecture

CaterPillar™ supplies physical guidance within the AV++® family. Alice® can provide the interpretation at a destination, and Lory® can deliver the relevant personal media. QuickSilver® supplies the computing foundation. Where included, WorldModel™ connects these functions with the venue's consent, accessibility and operating rules.

CaterPillar™ handles

Physical orientation and navigation through the venue space - where to go, which path to take, how to reach the next destination independently.

Alice® handles

Interpretive and narrative content at each exhibit - what this object is, what it means, what the visitor should understand - delivered in their language and at their chosen depth.

Lory® handles

Accessible media delivery - captions, sign language, hearing aid streaming, multilingual audio - synchronized with the main show and delivered to the visitor's own device.

A connected accessible visit

Guidance, interpretation and personal continuity.

Coupling CaterPillar™ with Alice® supports multilingual guests with different interests. CaterPillar provides the physical guidance, while Alice delivers interpretation in the visitor's selected language, tailored to their interests and chosen depth.

A visitor can follow the venue's guidance cues while an Alice® Avatar introduces the next exhibit, explains its significance and helps shape a personal route. Lory® supplies the supported personal media path. When CheshireCat® is included and the visitor opts in, language and other selected preferences can continue between participating touchpoints.

The newer Mad Hatter™ guidance architecture extends this approach toward guidance using existing venue loudspeakers or suitable personal audio devices. It provides for distinct guidance cues, spoken instructions, visitor preferences and handoffs between shared and personal delivery. These integrated Hatter combinations are in development and require their own demonstration and project qualification.

CaterPillar supports wayfinding. Emergency evacuation remains part of the venue's life-safety arrangements.

Patent pending

CaterPillar™ is patent pending for nonvisual guidance in physical venues. View the patent portfolio →

Connect the capability to the experience.

Choose the media, control, visitor and support functions that serve the brief, with QuickSilver as the computing foundation.

Explore the AV++ family ↗

Bring CaterPillar™ into the design while routes, exhibit positions and accessibility requirements are being developed. Mad can help define the station-based guidance and the related visitor capabilities your venue needs.

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TECHNICAL DETAIL

Establish the guidance in the actual space.

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Illustrative route: a visitor follows an acoustic reference from an entry point to a junction, then uses the next distinct station cue to orient toward an exhibit. When Alice® is included, its approved explanation can meet the visitor there in the selected language and depth.

Station positions, cue distinction, audibility, environmental noise and the intended user conditions are assessed for the real route. The operating plan identifies what happens if a station or route is unavailable. The station-based method and the developing Hatter or personal-device extensions have separate implementation and verification scopes.

THE HATTER-INTEGRATED DIRECTION

A personal route through a shared venue.

The developing Hatter-integrated form adds distinguishable guidance signals for concurrent participating visitors and station triggering. It extends the station-beacon approach with more personal ways to connect a visitor, a route and the next experience.

Coupling CaterPillar™ with Alice® supports multilingual guests with different interests. The venue authors the route and interpretation, and the proposed devices, signals and access requirements are qualified for that installation.