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By releasing an app that prevents pedestrians from getting hit by traffic, Dartmouth’s Smartphone Sensing Group has joined a growing debate about “distracted walking.”

The group, led by Computer Science Professor Andrew Campbell, has developed a free application for Android phones called WalkSafe. It uses the Android’s camera to detect oncoming cars and alert the phone’s user.

“Smartphones are getting smarter,” Campbell said. “They have a number of in-built sensors. … These sensors allow the phone, for the first time, to mimic human perception.”

Read the full story, published on 12/20/11 by WGBH.