Oculis

When we first began, our goal was to build an all-encompassing navigation system for the visually impaired community in Singapore. We imagined a solution that could address everything from detecting obstacles, reading signage and more believing that covering as many needs as possible would be the most valuable approach.

However, we quickly realised how hard it was to understand the subtle everyday challenges faced in real navigation as sighted individuals. Many of our early prototypes, while ambitious, didn't align with what users actually needed. We turned to the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) and the community itself. Hearing their personal accounts and witnessing their struggles firsthand revealed critical pain points we had overlooked.

These experiences reshaped the way we built Oculis. Rather than spreading ourselves thin across many features, we committed to solving one urgent problem well: helping users identify buses reliably in crowded, hectic environments. This shift in focus not only sharpened our product direction but also transformed our approach to user research, emphasizing real-world testing and co-creation with the community.

The collaboration has been invaluable. We are deeply thankful to Lyn, Choon Hwee, Ben, and the entire SAVH team for guiding us and helping accelerate our pilot efforts, as well as to our mentor Jin from TicTag, whose steady support kept us on track. This journey has shown us that technology alone isn’t enough it’s the partnership with users that makes solutions meaningful, impactful, and truly accessible.

Oculis partnered with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) to launch pilot testing programs with the visually impaired community.

During this pilot phase, Oculis has successfully:

• Onboarded 11 visually impaired users including volunteers and employees working at SAVH

• Achieved 21 navigation sessions over the span of one week with active user engagement

• Delivered bus detection performance only 3-4 seconds slower compared to a sighted user actively looking for the bus service

• Demonstrated early signs of increased independence and greater access to public transportation for users

While some technical challenges and opportunities for improvement remain, users are already finding meaningful value in their daily navigation experiences through Oculis.

Pilot Testing Approach

As of right now, we've run pilot tests with several members of SAVH which are categorised into:

• Guided tests: We physically met up with members of SAVH to introduce the prototype and guide them on how to use the app at the nearby Lighthouse School bus stop.

• Independent tests: We let them try out the app on their own time using TestFlight during their regular bus rides.

Pilot Feedback

"I've been waiting for a solution like this for years! Other apps I've tried just weren't reliable. It's incredible that a team fresh out of poly has created something so accurate that it has genuinely made my daily commute easier."

Key Outcomes

• Received positive feedback on the accuracy of the bus detection model, with users noting its reliability even under challenging lighting conditions.

• Users appreciated the simplicity of the interface and the unobtrusive design of the audio feedback system.

• The most frequently requested feature was haptic feedback for directional guidance, which was successfully implemented to help users orient their phones toward approaching buses.

• These insights guided our development roadmap, where we prioritized enhanced haptic feedback, faster loading times, and more refined audio cues.

Over the next six months, the Oculis team plans to further develop the application by adding a few new key features:

• Road Navigation: Providing turn-by-turn guidance.

• Enhanced Bus Experience: Improving the current bus detection features.

• Bus Service Navigation: Guiding users to specific bus services.

• Indoor Navigation: Expanding the app's functionality for use in indoor spaces.