Microsoft has launched an app which can help map the world for blind and visually impaired people, giving directions, describing the local area and guiding them from place to place.

The Soundscape app lets users set a beacon at their destination and then sets off 3D spatial audio cues to give the user awareness of what is around them. It connects to global map services to describe places of interest or street names.

Using a smartphone connected to a headset like Apple AirPods, it helps blind people gain a better awareness of their location, while it can also be used in conjunction with other apps, like a GPS map, working in the background.

By telling users road and place names and giving directions out loud, the app provides blind people with points of reference to make it easier to navigate the world, while being distinct from route guidance apps. The app is made to be used to be in addition to navigation methods like guide dogs.

Microsoft revealed a prototype of the Soundscape technology, including a special headset, in 2014, but it has now released the app on iOS to the public in the UK and the US.

"The app enriches your perception of surroundings as you walk, helping you get where you want to go," Microsoft said in a blog post.