For Teman Tuli and Teman Dengar during a train journey in Indonesia.

Three students from the University of Indonesia, one of the best universities in Indonesia and the world – Ajeng Riski Anugrah, Nandhika Prayoga, and Grace Elizabeth Kristiani – developed the a prototype application, called Muter, an abbreviation of Teman Tuli (deaf/hearing impaired friends) Teman Dengar (normal hearing friends) as a solution for the deaf people who have problems in noticing the train stops during a train journey. The idea was started when Ajeng participated in an event held in KOPTUL (Kopi Tuli) Café, a café with difabel (Indonesian word for differently able) staff located in Depok, Jakarta – where she learned signed language from the deaf community there.

Through an e-mail to The Jakarta Post, Ajeng wrote, “On my way home from the event, I thought that if they couldn’t rely on sounds, how could they get on a train? Did they ever miss a railway station? Sometimes I can’t even hear announcements and read station nameplates, especially in an overcrowded train.” Ajeng, a student majoring in public administration at University of Indonesia‘s (UI) Faculty of Administrative Science (FIA), shared her experience with other fellow student, Grace, who also once overslept during a train journey and thought about an app that could alert not only the deaf, but also all train passengers through a vibrate to notify the app users that they are reaching their destination.

The two students decided to join University of Indonesia’s production program for student’s creativity called Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa Bidang Karsa Cipta to develop their idea, and joined by UI’s fellow student, Nandhika Prayoga, a computer science student – they were carefully monitored by their mentor Fikri Akbarsyah Anza, a lecturer at the FIA.

The team developed features that can facilitate all users, especially the deaf, with valuable and useful functions during the train ride . They also ready with the plan on involving Indonesia’s commuter line operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia by integrating its Twitter feed with the app.

The three UI’s students presented the prototype of the Muter application in Pekan Kreativitas Mahasiswa Nasional (Pimnas), National Students and Creativity Week – held last year with the hope to help all users, especially the deaf who use KRL (Kereta Rel Listrik / Electric Railtrain) in Jabodetabek area (Jakarta  Bogor, Depok Tangerang, Bekasi). They didn’t win, but they are looking forward to work together with PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia in the future.

“We also collected online data to develop useful features, like the vibrate notification. The deaf users (Teman Tuli) will be reminded through the vibration from the app when the train is about to reach the destined station,” explained Nandhika in University of Indonesia online portal. “To protect the data of the users, the Muter application doesn’t need to open an account,” he added.

They also work together with Pusat Bahasa Isyarat Indonesia (Indonesian Sign Language Centre) – to develop the sign language features and instruction video about Facilities and Service of KRL for the deaf.

The sign language in the application is presented in visual animation in order to improve the communication between the Teman Tuli with Teman Dengar during the train journey.

The prototype application is now being patented and will available soon for the public in Indonesia.

 

For more information about Muter application: University Of Indonesia FIA Fakultas Ilmu Administrasi — YouTube Muter Muter.

Source: SCIENCE & TECH Prototype app ‘Muter’ aims to help deaf train passengers in Indonesia — Prototype app ‘Muter’ aims to help deaf train passengers in Indonesia.