SpartansFirst™ Announces Here2There™ collaboration with Foresight Augmented Reality
Pioneering Smart Cities Technology: A New Era of Accessibility and Enhanced Experience for Spartanburg and the Upstate Region of South Carolina
SPARTANBURG, SC - March 11, 2024 – SpartansFirst, a pioneering nonprofit organization based in Spartanburg, proudly announces its partnership with Atlanta-based Foresight Augmented Reality (FAR). Together, they introduce the groundbreaking Hear2There service, a cornerstone of smart cities technology, to the Spartanburg community and the wider Upstate region of South Carolina.
Leveraging FAR’s Hear2There service, when a visually impaired or blind person approaches the front door of a business, such as a restaurant, the Hear2There service connects to their smartphone, giving information about where they are, where is the main door, and any other pertinent information about the location. When you enter the restaurant, the Hear2There service informs you about the general layout of the room you’re coming into, that there are restrooms to the right, a bar to the left, and tables for seating in front of you. It can also be set up to tell you about the menu for the restaurant, so you don’t have to get someone to read you the menu. Then it can also provide you information you may need to locate the appropriate restroom or the emergency exit if required. All this information is extremely helpful to a visually impaired or blind person, but it is also beneficial to anyone who may want to find the back exit or to read the menu. In different types of business, the information provided is adjusted to be appropriate to that location, implementing an augmented reality description that anyone can use.
Dennis C. Hayes, Founding Chairman of SpartansFirst and a blind executive, commented: “With the integration of smart cities technology, we’re not just enhancing service delivery; we’re transforming the very fabric of experiences. Our vision for Spartanburg and the Upstate region is a future where every public space offers enriched narratives, details, and insights.” Hayes is best known as the founder of Hayes Microcomputer Products and developer of the Hayes Smartmodem that defined the dial-up PC modem market and provided connection to the early internet. Hayes, leveraging his unique perspective, provides fractional executive advice to startup technology companies, assisting them in scaling their business and is the founder of the American Technology Venture Lab which just completed the first session of the Inaugural Cadre at the Johnson College of Business and Economics on March 1.
This significant endeavor is made possible by the generous contributions of anonymous donors, who have provided the funding for the deployment of tens of thousands of Hear2There Beacon Bundles essential for the project. The generous donation sponsors installation of beacons in publicly accessible facilities throughout the Upstate and will be complimented by 30 months of free service. These points, equipped with the latest in augmented reality, will provide invaluable support to the blind and visually impaired community, offering real-time information such as restaurant menus, building directories, and other essential details to users with a smartphone. SpartansFirst is actively inviting applications from local businesses, governmental bodies, and public access venues in both Spartanburg and the broader Upstate region. The intent is to redefine experiences, whether simplifying navigation in a doctor’s office or offering a richer, more informed experience at a sports venue.
Interested parties eager to be part of this transformative journey can apply via the SpartansFirst website at www.spartansfirst.org. Volunteers passionate about driving this initiative forward can also sign up for training and join hands in deploying these advanced services. During March, we are making the first installations, and the system will be live by the first week of April. Users may download the free Hear2There app for their iPhone or Android phone beginning in April at the Apple App Store or Google Play. The Hear2There app will provide more information about where beacons have been installed and are ready to use by the public.
Additionally, SpartansFirst will be hosting a public meeting to discuss this groundbreaking initiative further:
Date: March 11, 2024
Time: 6 PM - 8 PM EDT
Location: American Legion post 28, Duncan Park, 94 West Park Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29306
This meeting aims to create awareness, gather more partners, and brainstorm on expanding the program’s reach for maximum community benefit and will feature additional speakers to address topics of interest related to the safety, security, and prosperity of our community.
SpartansFirst is a grassroots, volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 2020 partially in response to the “defund the police” movement. The motivation for SpartansFirst is, we appreciate the men and women who protect and serve our community. We advocate for their respect in honor of their sacrifice and service, and we educate the community about their importance to protect our prosperity. SpartansFirst conducts events and implements projects supporting, recognizing and honoring the law enforcement and first responders of Spartanburg County, SC. SpartansFirst also conducts regularly scheduled public meetings to bring speakers and discussion about topics that are important to our first responders and the community at large that impact the safety, security, and freedom that make our community prosperous. SpartansFirst is a DBA and trademark of Spartanburg Supports Law Enforcement and First Responders, a South Carolina non-profit corporation.
For media inquiries and further details, please contact:
Dennis C. Hayes, Chairman
dennis.hayes@spartansfirst.org
(864) 982-9681 (Please send text message with name and reason)
Frank Tiller, President
frank.tiller@spartansfirst.org
(864) 680-2250
James Pulley, Secretary
james.pulley@spartansfirst.org
(704) 351-0117
SpartansFirst
Hear2There Partners and Locations
SpartansFirst partners with Local Groups to Distribute and Install Hear2There. Initial Hear2There Partners are:
Spartanburg Jaycees
A growing number of local businesses and other facilities open to the public are installing Hear2There at their facility or business location. This is the initial list of local business locations participating with Hear2There:
Rockers Brewing Co.
226-A W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306
https://rjrockers.com/
Willy Taco
1925 Boiling Springs Rd Boiling Springs, SC 29316
https://www.willytaco.com/boiling-springs
5051 Calhoun Memorial HWY Easley, SC 29640
https://www.willytaco.com/easley
217 Laurens Road Greenville, SC 29607
https://www.willytaco.com/greenville
930 E. Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29302
https://www.willytaco.com/spartanburg
129 N Main St Simpsonville, SC 29681
https://www.willytaco.com/simpsonville
Flock Shop
970 S Pine St, Spartanburg, SC 29302
https://www.eatdrinkflock.com/
Fr8yard
125 E Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29302
https://www.fr8yard.com/
Business, institutional, and government facilities interested to participate with the Hear2There rollout are welcome to contact us via the SpartansFirst website: https://spartansfirst.org/ or by email at: info@spartansfirst.org Hear2There installations are being made during March and the service will be available for use beginning in April. Users may download the free Hear2There smartphone app to access the service in these and additional location, starting at the beginning of April.