Smartphone, WiFi, the Internet of Things (IOT), and whatnot have armed us with tools that have made our lifestyle truly convenient. But can you say the same for people who are visually impaired?
If you think that technology hasn’t done anything to make a blind person’s life comfortable, you’re in for a surprise. The geniuse brains at Chaotic Moon, a tech savvy industry and a big name if you must, has recently introduced a “proximity-sensing” headband, Sentiri.
Sentiri, previously known as Project Halo, helps the user to avoid any object in the way through haptic feedback, i.e., by sending a signal to the device that vibrates upon detecting any nearby objects. The intensity of the vibration can vary depending on the distance of the object from the user. Hence, a stronger vibration would mean that the object is too close.
The device, although, doesn’t reflect any futuristic looks due to all the clutter of wires and the naked modules around the headband, it does offer pretty effective form of non-verbal communication. The vibration not simply alerts the user of any hurdle on his path, but also gives him a sense or an experience of feeling his surroundings.
To add more ease to the use of the headband for blinds, the gadget doesn’t have any touch-screen or User Interface for interaction. The user only need to put on the gadget and get on his way to anywhere without requires any cane.
The device doesn’t require any sort of connectivity to any app, but it can be hooked up to Google Maps. By linking to the popular Google Maps, the user can safely navigate in the open, or on the streets.
Image Courtesy of: http://www.engadget.com/