Inspired by the difficulties he experienced due to a walking disability in his leg, high school student Ahmet Muhammet Kara, together with his friend Taha Berk Çolak, developed the project “Yol Arkadaşım” (My Companion) to make life easier for individuals with disabilities.
Awarded at the 10th Science and Idea Festival organized by Üsküdar University, the project offers an “audible travel guide” that allows people with disabilities to navigate independently.
The Science and Idea Festival, hosted for the tenth time this year by Üsküdar University, once again brought forward projects that offer hope for the future. Among hundreds of projects, “My Companion,” developed by students of Türk Telekom Şehit Murat Mertel Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, drew attention both for the solution it offers and for its origin story.
“Before this project, I had a very difficult time”
The mind behind the project is Ahmet Muhammet Kara, who has a walking disability due to the shortness in his left leg. When he shared his challenges with his friend Taha Berk Çolak, the first steps of this unique project were taken. Ahmet Muhammet Kara said, “Before this project, I had a very difficult time. Knowing that other disabled individuals struggled just like me, we wanted to use this project to communicate their experiences to others.” He emphasized that the project is not just a technical solution but also aims to build a bridge of empathy.
The Biggest Obstacle Was “GPS Deviation”
Taha Berk Çolak, the other partner in the project, stated that the biggest challenge during the development process was “GPS deviation.” He explained, “For a disabled citizen, a deviation that may not be a problem for a non-disabled person can mean starting over from scratch. Sometimes the GPS deviations reached one hundred meters. We worked hard to solve this, and in the end, by using latitude and longitude instead of GPS, we managed to reduce the deviation to about three to four meters.”
What Does “My Companion” Do?
“My Companion” is a voice-guided travel application that allows individuals with disabilities to move independently while traveling. The application provides audio directions for how to reach a destination in the easiest and most accessible way.
The project team not only built the technical infrastructure but also received feedback by presenting the project to more than one hundred citizens in Pendik. Based on a suggestion from a color-blind individual, they even redesigned the app’s interface to be color-blind friendly.
Next Step: Artificial Intelligence and Morse Code
Taha Berk Çolak and Ahmet Muhammet Kara, who have been working on the project for nearly a year, continue to improve the application. Their next goal is to integrate written commands in Morse code and an artificial intelligence assistant similar to “Siri” for individuals who are visually impaired. Taha Berk Çolak stated, “Our goal is for a visually impaired person to say, ‘My companion, list nearby places for me,’ and for the application to voice the closest locations and generate a route.”
Aiming to Expand Across All of Türkiye
Currently operating on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, the application is expected to expand to all of Türkiye and even globally over time.
These young inventors, who set out from a personal challenge with the aim of impacting the lives of thousands, demonstrated at the festival held under the motto “Those Who Invent, Win”, how science and technology can be used for social benefit.
The “My Companion” project received an achievement award, ranking tenth in the Health Sciences category at the festival’s award ceremony held on May 23.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)