New device could help visually impaired avoid obstacles, research suggests

[Judi Lynn]

Chest-mounted video camera and vibrating wristbands developed by US team reduce collisions by 37% in small study

Nicola Davis Science correspondent
@NicolaKSDavis
Thu 22 Jul 2021 11.00 EDT

Vibrating wristbands could help visually impaired people to avoid collisions when out and about, a study indicates.

According to the NHS, about 360,000 people in the UK alone are registered as blind or partially sighted, with long canes and guide dogs among the methods used to help individuals avoid obstacles.

Now researchers in the US have developed a technological aid: a chest-mounted video camera – linked to a processing unit involving a computer-vision algorithm – and a pair of vibrating wristbands.

When the system detects a hazard that the wearer is set to collide with, the wristband on the same side as the hazard vibrates. If the obstacle is straight ahead, both wristbands vibrate.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/22/new-device-could-help-visually-impaired-avoid-obstacles-research-suggests

[underpants]

1. Very interesting. Thanks.

The cane doesn’t give info on things off the ground.