Prototype Smart-Cane to Aid Visually-Impaired
The white cane has long been a symbol and a great partner for those with visual impairments, but the overall design and function has not seen much change in its many years of existence. One PhD, from Manchester University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering has designed a prototype upgrade to improve the cane and its functionality.
Vasileious Tsormpatzoudis was inspired by his mother, whom he explains has retinitis pigmentosa (a progressive, hereditary disease that affects vision), to design an upgrade to the cane that is both useful and affordable.
His upgrade, known presently as "mySmartCane", is made using some sensors and 3D-printed plastic. The product fits at the end of the white cane and uses ultrasound to detect the environment around it, feeding the information back audibly to alert the user of any approaching obstacles. In simple terms, it works in a very similar way to a car's parking sensor.
The additional benefits of this design are that the cane can detect objects further away from the user (providing more time to adjust their course) as well as providing the information without having to actually collide the cane with the obstacle. Far from being the finished article, this prototype has a lot to offer the visually impaired and may further technologies in this area.
Source: Phys.org
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