Loud Steps, a mobile application developed by Turkish engineers that enables visually impaired people to self-navigate in indoors, has started to be used in the U.S.

The application's U.S. launch was held at a hotel in the Chicago neighborhood of Skokie.

By using the program, visually impaired American Paul Ponchillia was able to reach predetermined targets in the hotel without assistance. Ponchillia was able navigate to his room on the eighth floor through the guidance of the application.One of the engineers, Uğur Aydemir, said Loud Steps, which uses Wi-Fi, is the first application developed for indoor navigation in the world. Noting the application is also a social responsibility project, Aydemir continued, "This application enhances the lives of impaired people and gives them a chance to move independently."Aydemir said they have also received positive feedback following the tests conducted with 12 visually impaired people from different regions of the U.S.While expressing that they plan to establish standards for indoor navigation in the country after the two-year project is complete, Aydemir said the substructure of the standards will be the Loud Steps application.

"The most important reason why this application is preferred is its use of Wi-Fi that is independent from operators. We serve visually impaired people in eight countries and in nearly 100 points. We are assertive in this field. We see the U.S. as a big market and have specific targets for the country."

Hotel manager John Callas implied the application is really important for visually impaired people and said, "Our visually impaired guests will not have to receive help from four or five other people to find their rooms."

The application, which was initially launched in Antalya Airport in August 2017 by providing navigation through Wi-Fi, is loaded in mobile phones and enables visually impaired people to find their way around or understand where they are immediately without help in complicated settings, like shopping malls, by producing audible descriptions

.