The Yissum Research Development Company proudly unveiled their latest project at a recent Presidential Conference. While a marketable brand name is currently unavailable, what the Hebrew University lab has created is a marvel of Israeli innovation. The “Virtual Cane” is a sonar equipped aid for blind people, who will use the gadget to map their immediate surrounding and improve mobility.
The Virtual Cane is pretty rugged as well, packing a 12 hour battery life without the hassle of lengthy recharging.
Additional specs are a mystery and a proper release date is unknown. When it does finally become available, expect it to be paired with either a handheld device or a wearable gadget. As seen in the concept illustration above, the Virtual Cane might be useful in transmitting data to a (Bluetooth?) sensor word like a headband. Kinda reminds us of that Batman gadget in the Dark Knight. Moving on…the ultimate goal of the Virtual Cane is to go one step farther by allowing the blind to recognize their environment.
In the words of Yaacov Michlin, who is the leading authority on the Virtual Cane (his lab built it after all): [This] promising invention can endow visually impaired people with the freedom to freely navigate in their surroundings without unintentionally bumping into or touching other people and thus has the potential to significantly enhance their quality of life.
Source Fast Company
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