Technology makes it possible to improve people’s quality of life. The zThe achievements developed by Austrian scientists will help to relax the limitations of the blind, forced to walk with a cane to avoid objects in their path.
The footwear incorporates waterproof ultrasonic sensors that will allow their owners to discover if they encounter a nearby obstacle and avoid it. In addition, it is equipped with cameras and they have developed an algorithm that analyzes the detected data and interprets the image content.
«It is not only the warning that I face an obstacle, but also information about the type of obstacle I am facing. Because it is very different if it is a wall, a car or a ladder “, explains Markus Raffer, one of the founders of Tec-Innovation, a Viennese company that already sells the shoes under the Innomake name.
With them, when a visually impaired person encounters an obstacle within four meters, you will receive a notification through a phone connected to your application by vibration or sound that will tell you which direction to go. The system is similar to the sensors that vehicles use to park.
Users can make real-time adjustments with the button located on the back of the device, adjusting the distance range. The device is capable of determine obstacle-free areas and distinguish objects on the road. You will know if it is a curb, a hole or a wall since each of them requires different strategies to overcome them.
