Munich Orientation Convention, the system with imaginary clocks.

Hi, I'm Henrique Koehler. I'm inventor and I've developed a natural orientation system. It bases on the time-space convention with imaginary clocks. This method is used by blind people for more than 100 years. The common expression clockwise comes from this convention.

The main benefits of this system are a higher awareness for positions, directions, distances and turn angles, the definition of a common language for all nations and in many cases a self guiding.

Two chapters will follow. Chapter 1 describes only directions and the user is the center of a clock. Chapter 2 describes positions and the clock is outside of the user.

Chapter 1. Directions and inner clocks.

This chapter describes two tools, the f-clock and the m-clock. Both tools give answers to the question whereto? and how much and in which direction do I have to turn my body?

Tool f-clock. The convention for the f-clock is: f12 is in front of you. Consequently, f3 is right hand, f6 is behind and so on.

Exercise: extend one arm in direction f7.

With this tool, zigzag routes like right, ahead, left, right can be described as f3, f12, f9, f3.

Among other benefits, f-clock helps to reduce right/left confusions. The catastrophe with the liner Costa Concordia was caused by a right/left confusion. The captain gave commands in italian language (destra/sinistra) and the steerman was indonesian.

f-clock is basically valid for the person who should be oriented. If not, this must be precised.

Now the tool m-clock follows. It's also called munich clock.

The convention for m-clocks is: m12 is the north direction, m3 goes to sunrise, m6 to south and so on.

 m-clock reduces east-west confusions and allows the so-called bee line navigation BL.

A single bee line and some brain work allows to find a target with a good precision. For example, the expression BL = m3 means that the target is in direction sunrise.

If the street constellation forces the user to go through m1, so he would be walking 2 hours too much counter clockwise, in other words 2 hours too soon.

On the next possibility, he would turn his body 2 hours to later. If then the street forces to go to m4, so he would be 1 hour too late and he would correct this next time. And so on.

f-clock and m-clock can be used together. So when a compass speaks f12=m9, it is saying that the user is going in direction sunset.

Compass apps according to this convention are available for iphones. Search for BlindCompass or blind in the city.

Chapter 2. Location codes and external m-clocks.

This time the m-clock centre is outside of our body. The centre is called m0 or radius zero.

This tool defines for example crossing codes which give better answers to the question where? than names, post codes, lat/lon or a point on a map.

The location codes consist of two main elements, a time code and a radius code.

The time code consists of hours and minutes. They are also called horizon hours and horizon minutes. The codes are valid for targets, crossings, stations, stop points and bridges and harmonize with imagination, signage, cartography, online applications and mobile applications.

The following explanation bases on an example, the urban position code of the World Blind Union WBU in Toronto.

The WBU location code looks like this: Toronto m12 point 8 r85.

The conventions for location codes are the following ones:

- m12 is the direction from m0 to north. This method divides a room, a building or a city like a cake into 12 m-sectors.

In Toronto, m0 is the TV tower. The WBU is within the urban sector m12.

- the number after the letter "r" is the radius. This is the distance to the center in steps of blocks of houses, 100 meters or 100 yards. Within a building, the steps can be 10 meters or 1 meter.

The simplified location code of WBU is m12 r85, so the distance to the TV tower is 85 blocks or 8.5 kilometers.

- The hour sectors are divided into distance-minutes, which is the distance to the begin of the hour. The position of WBU is 800 meters "later" than the direction m12.

According to this, the complete location code of WBU is Toronto m12 point 8 r85.

This method allows a self guiding just comparing the time and the radius codes. This is called VolkNav.

First of all, point your feet outwards, that means, let m0 behind you. In this position, right hand will be clockwise.

The iphone app blind in the city is the first one which lets you know the direction to m0.

Now ask yourself the following two questions. Must I go to inwards or to outwards? Must I go to later or to sooner?

Extend your arms in direction of the two answers. The angle between your arms will always be 3 hours and the target will be between this angle. Embrace your target, that means, follow this direction. Advanced users will translate this direction to a bee line.

The described major/minor comparisons allows to divide the horizon into 4 directions. If you compare the values, you'll get for example the following information: I have to go 300 meters outwards and 100 meters to sooner. This is the division of the horizon into 12 directions.

This sounds complicated, but after some exercises on a real situation you'll confirm that this is simple and makes smarter.

This is a first step in favor of a reform of the enigmatic post codes. To discover the location code of your target, please ask someone to click this point on the map of your city listed on site www.volksnav.de/mapplet.

In a near future, the needed information about positions and directions will be obtained though asking, palpating the signage or with the help of a navigation device. Another possibility: the compass sends a simple wireless command. Beeing for example close to a bus stop, it will speak the own position code and the direction to m0 with a format like m0=m4.

Exercises with the app:

1 - go one step in direction m0.

2 - turn your back to m0, in other words point your feet to outwards

3 - go one step in direction to the target m4 r20

4 - go one step to m11.3 r60