A team of researchers showed that people using a long cane or a guide dog were able to reduce the number of collisions by 37 per cent, compared to using other mobility aids alone.
“Independent travel is an essential part of daily life for many people who are visually impaired, but they face a greater risk of bumping into obstacles when they walk on their own,” said Gang Luo, an associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.
“Although many blind individuals use long canes to detect obstacles, collision risks are not completely eliminated. We sought to develop and test a device that can augment these everyday mobility aids, further improve their safety.”
The experimental device and data recording unit were enclosed in a sling backpack with a chest-mounted, wide-angle camera on the strap, and two Bluetooth-connected wristbands worn by the user.
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