HANOVER TWP., LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — Time was when Kevin Kline could make the walk with ease — alone.
Once upon a time, the leisurely stroll he took Friday morning along the second floor of the Lehigh Valley International Airport terminal was like a walk in the park.
Walk to the store. Walk to the ballpark. No help required. Get up, go and get where he wanted to be.
All of that changed seven years ago when, at age 23 and in a span of just six months, he lost his sight to a genetic condition known as Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a condition which permanently damages the optic nerve.
Independence changed to reliance in a blink. He and countless others with physical and emotional challenges needed a helping hand.
Enter GoodMaps.
The artificial intelligence-powered, smartphone navigation technology is that helping hand.
"GoodMaps provides people with navigation and freedom who may need it most.”Kevin Kline, GoodMaps
By simply opening the app and pointing the smartphone, GoodMaps delivers comprehensive accessibility features including audio guidance for blind and low-vision individuals, visual directions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing — all in multilingual support in more than 18 languages.
Kline, a GoodMaps community engagement representative, demonstrated the platform's effectiveness during a news conference announcing the app’s debut at the airport.
“The goal is to assist travelers in any space,” Kline said. “It helps people who may be blind, like me, deaf or wheelchair users. GoodMaps provides people with navigation and freedom who may need it most.”
GoodMaps is free, and can be found in the Apple App Store and Google App Store.
For more information, go to the GoodMaps website.
'Transforms the customer experience'
Founded in 2019, GoodMaps works by first creating highly detailed, 360-degree 3D maps of indoor spaces using LiDAR scanning.
Six weeks after a space is scanned, the map is edited and ready for implementation a short time later.
The app uses one’s smartphone camera and the pre-built map to provide accurate, turn-by-turn, camera-based positioning for navigation.
Once a user has a destination in mind, the app uses the phone's camera to continuously scan its surroundings and compare them to the 3D map to determine the user's location and provide real-time navigation prompts.
It uses sounds and vibrations to guide users, making it easier to follow directions without having to look at the Smartphone screen.
Kline demonstrated the app’s effectiveness, navigating from one end of the second-floor level with ease. The verbal direction from the app steered him clear of any impediments along the way.
Frank Gasper, 68, of Emmaus, lost his sight almost 40 years ago. Gasper, president of the Lehigh Valley Council of the Blind, and his wife attended the GoodMaps debut at the airport.
“I’ve tested some of the other apps,” Gasper said. “But they weren’t as good and were cumbersome.
“I used GoodMaps outside and it helped me get across the street.”
ABE is among 36 airports internationally, including 30 in the United States and the first in Pennsylvania, to offer GoodMap technology.
“Travel can be overwhelming when it comes to getting around an airport,” said Colin Riccobon, director of public and government relations of the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.
“Any tool or resource someone can use to make it less stressful, more convenient and a little more comfortable is something we’re focused on here at ABE.
"GoodMaps provides people the inclusivity they want here at ABE. It transforms the ABE customer experience.”
On Friday, with the help of technology, Kevin Kline walked to where he wanted to be.
Freedom in the palm of his hand.
