Clever Gadget Offers Sonar For The Blind

[Earnest Cavalli]

Clever Gadget Offers Sonar For The Blind

[vimeo=27675622]

Grathio Labs wants to help the blind, and its best idea so far sounds like something straight out of a Marvel comic book.

Dubbed "Hand-Mounted Haptic Feedback Sonar Obstacle Avoidance Assistance Device" (but shorted to "Tacit" for easier consumption), the device attaches to a blind person's wrist and essentially gives them tactile feedback on their surroundings. Geek.com explains:

The user slides it on to the back of their wrist where it sends out ultrasonic pulses which can detect objects between 2cm and 3.5m away. The pulses are sent out and the time it takes for them to return is measured by the on-board micro-controller. A shorter time period means an object is closer.

Using two server motors pressure can be applied on both sides of the wrist. More pressure means a closer object, and the user can also tell which direction the object is in because the pressure is applied independently on the right and left of the wrist.

Sound familiar? That's more or less the same system bats use to navigate dark caves. Certainly, the bats have this ability innately, but the Tacit seems a pretty solid analogue.

One question remains, however: Given that "sonar" is not exactly an inherent feature of the human animal, exactly how much training/experience would a blind person need before the use of this device is second nature?

Or, to more readily address the question I'm sure is floating inside the heads of our geeky audience, how much experience would a blind person need with this thing before they could dress in a red unitard and take down Wilson Fisk?

Good news for those of you wondering when exactly you'll be able to do the Matt Murdock thing: As Geek.com points out, the Tacit's "build notes, schematics, and code required have all been released under the Creative Commoncs BY-NC-SA license meaning you can build one right now for around $65." Full details can be found at the Grathio Labs website [http://grathio.com/2011/08/meet-the-tacit-project-its-sonar-for-the-blind/].

Source: Geek.com [http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/wrist-mounted-haptic-device-gives-blind-people-sonar-20110822/]



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[the spud]

You know, people who are blind often develop something called "echolocation" or something like that, and it essentially allows them to "hear" their surroundings.

 

[Earnest Cavalli]

You know, people who are blind often develop something called "echolocation" or something like that, and it essentially allows them to "hear" their surroundings.

"Often" is a VAST overstatement.

A few blind people can do this, but it is FAR from a common thing.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

"Sound familiar? That's more or less the same system bats use to navigate dark caves. Certainly, the bats have this ability innately, but the Tacit seems a pretty solid analogue."

It was also a gadget Batman once used when he was temporarily blinded.
Thank goodness he finally managed to set crime fighting aside for enough time to build a new one to help all the blind!

In all seriousness, this is great, I hope many blind can benefit asap!

 

[Phlakes]

Like a submarine, Mr. Wayne. Like a submarine.

OT: I really don't see what it accomplishes that you can't just do with a stick. Besides looking cool.

 

[ssManae]

This reminds me a little of another system I attended a lecture on. Cameras in a pair of sunglasses have their image converted by a small system, and the output is a pattern of electrical stimulation on a small square grid placed upon the tongue. It's already been used (after a little bit of training) to allow a blind man to climb a fairly difficult rock wall unassisted.

The only down side? Drink anything carbonated, and you 'see' static for a little.

 

[Quaxar]

More pressure means a closer object. If you get your wrist crushed you have touched it.
Also, it's perfect for cleaning your guide dog's waste.

 

[BrotherRool]

They've already done the research. The part of the brain some blind people have learnt to use for eco-location just happens to be the part of the brain reserved for sight, and even without this gadget people were hoping the research would make it far easier to teach blind people to echolocate. Now this gets rid of some of the tricky parts...