Glide Walks: Liverpool

Yesterday I made a little game about pushing a robotic guide around an imaginary neighbourhood.

This morning I went for a walk around Liverpool.

Not the real Liverpool. I was sitting at my computer, using NVDA, my screen reader. But I started outside James Street station, walked up through Derby Square, along Lord Street and Church Street, and eventually arrived at Liverpool Central.

I had Glide, my imaginary robotic guide, steering me around obstacles. There were pigeons, shoppers, a busker, street-food stalls and the occasional litter bin. I could hear my footsteps on the pavement, traffic at crossings and, at one point, a saxophone playing on Church Street.

I even asked the AI building the game to give me the sound of heels instead of ordinary footsteps. It did. I also complained that my virtual mobility instructor wasn't talking to me enough. Walking around was getting lonely. So now he chats as we go.

There's an instructor mode, where a guide helps you learn the route, and a solo mode where you can see if you remember it.

The streets are based on real Liverpool, although the details are part of a simulation, not something to rely on for actual navigation.

I'm blind. I haven't seen Liverpool for forty years. And this morning I found myself wandering around a version of the city, listening to its sounds, remembering places and enjoying being there.

I built it by talking to Savi, the AI game-making agent on Spawn. No conventional programming on my part.

It's not a mobility simulator or a navigation aid. It's a little experiment in making somewhere you can visit through sound, words and imagination.

And I rather like it.

Have a wander yourself. It's free, works in a browser and is designed for keyboard and screen-reader users, although sighted people can play too.

Play Glide Walk: Liverpool on Spawn

I'd love to hear what you think. Especially if you know Liverpool!

What's new, and what's very new

Glide Walk has grown rather quickly!

What's new: Glide Walk: Liverpool is now live. You can explore a version of central Liverpool, walking from James Street to Liverpool Central, with a virtual guide robot and a chatty mobility instructor. There are street sounds, footsteps, landmarks, obstacles and even a saxophonist on Church Street. I've also added the Ship & Mitre pub, where you can pop in for a drink. There's now a double-speed option too.

What's very new: I'm making it work on iPhone with VoiceOver! The desktop version uses the space bar to walk, so Savi, the AI building the game, is adding a walk/stop button for touchscreens. This is still being implemented and needs testing.

All of this is being built conversationally with AI, and feedback from players is already shaping it.

It's a game, not a real-world navigation aid. And it's free.

I'd particularly welcome feedback from VoiceOver users once the new controls are live!

The first Glide Walk, around a sunny neighbourhood, is on Spawn too. So is Blind Trader, the space trading game.