NOPPA is a GPS enabled mobile phone with speech recognition that has been developed to help blind people navigate their way around Finland. The system is designed to offer public transport passenger information and pedestrian guidance for the visually impaired. Noppa is based on available personal navigation components and services. Modularity enables constant development of the system. Using public service databases over Internet ensures that the information is up-to-date. Combining passenger information from various information sources and creation of general-use interfaces have high importance in the project. Noppa is currently able to offer basic route planning and navigation services in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Tampere. A more accurate demonstration including high-detail maps will be carried out near Itäkeskus, Helsinki, where a new service center for the visually impaired is being built at the moment, and near Arla Institute, Espoo, which is a vocational training and development centre. These areas are connected by several public transport lines. Nice. Link ...