![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/uploads\/prod\/2020\/04\/Soundscape_City_Streetside_view_OFF12_Scene_06.png\")
<\/p>\nHi there, I\u2019m Frazier Carr and I\u2019m part of the Quality Assurance team at Microsoft Soundscape. As part of this role, we frequently work with people who are blind or low vision. Given the current state of lockdown in many parts of the world and the restrictions placed on movement and travel, I wanted to share how I use Soundscape to help me get some much-needed exercise.<\/p>\n
To make it interesting, I decided I would walk to a music store I had heard called out many times before but had never visited. Whether I found the place or not, I was getting much needed exercise and enjoying the different sounds from my external environment and new Soundscape callouts while on my journey.<\/p>\n
I started by selecting the \u201cSet Audio Beacon\u201d button and searched for the place before setting off. Holding my phone flat in my hand, I slowly pointed the phone towards the Audio Beacon sound until it was facing the direction of the place I was going to walk to. From the way I was facing, I knew I would need to leave the house and head south along Treeline Avenue and then take a left on Maple Drive. I quickly added a Marker on the intersection up the road so that when I invoke the \u201cNearby Markers\u201d button I would be reassured it wasn\u2019t too far away.<\/p>\n
Before I left my house, I started another app I use to measure my walking distance, number of steps, and calories burned. I locked the phone and put it into my pocket, placed the earphones into my ears, and off I went. The beacon was loud and clear once I started walking. I could hear the beacon coming from my left. Soundscape indicated the next intersection and that there was a crossing nearby. I crossed the road and continued with my walk.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
After 25 minutes at a good walking pace, I started getting closer to the music store. Along the way, Soundscape periodically reminded me how far away I was, and announced that I was \u201cNearby\u201d when approaching my destination. I never knew exactly where this place was until I found it using Soundscape! After checking my step count and a few stretches, I decided to see if I could make it home quicker! I set my Audio Beacon back on the Marker for my home and off I went.<\/p>\n
When I got home, my walking app told me I had walked about 5km and 9000 steps, and burned a small pizza worth of calories!<\/p>\n
Tomorrow, I might try walking to my local park which is slightly further away.<\/p>\n
If you have used Soundscape to help with your daily exercise, please share your experiences with us via email<\/a>\u00a0or on our\u00a0Soundscape Community Group<\/a>\u00a0page on Facebook.<\/p>\n Setting a Marker on an Intersection<\/strong><\/p>\n Select \u2018Manage Markers\u2019 from the Soundscape menu, select the \u2018Add Marker\u2019 button and then select the Search field. Instead of searching for a place, you can search for a road name or an intersection between two roads. To do the latter you can type something like \u201c10th Street and 5th Avenue\u201d and Microsoft Soundscape will attempt to find the intersection between those two roads.<\/p>\n Once you have found the intersection you are looking for, select it from the search results. You can now rename it if you\u2019d like. When you\u2019re finished, select the \u2018Done\u2019 button. Now that intersection will always be available in your Markers list.<\/p>\n Setting a Marker on your Home<\/strong><\/p>\n There are two ways that you can set a Marker on your home:<\/p>\nHints and Tips<\/h3>\n
\n