The Blind Audio Tactile Mapping System (BATS) for visually disabled people provides them with access to maps. Before the invention of this system, there were no maps of the ancient world that could be accessible to visually disabled people. The project was started in the University of North Carolina with a small group. Python was selected instead of C++ or Java. This was initially a tough decision, as the team did not have much idea of Python and they were proficient in C++ and Java. Ultimately, this decision was a wise decision, as Python has an extensive collection of libraries and modules that are desirable for the development of such applications.

BATS uses the ArcView data files provided by the Ancient World Mapping Center. ArcView/ArcGIS is a piece of fully functional GIS software used to visualize, manage, create, and analyze geographical data. Initially, they produced two ASCII text files for the surface types and elevation...