[Blindtlk] A Cane for the Blind Improves Social Interactions.

Gloria Whipple ladygloria at webband.com
Sat Dec 3 02:08:32 UTC 2011


That would be nice because I do not do well with malls. The same goes with big buildings.


Gloria Whipple
Corresponding Secretary
Inland Empire chapter
nfb of WA



-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Constance Canode
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 16:23
To: Blind Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] A Cane for the Blind Improves Social Interactions.

I agree with you Gloria.  However, I do wish 
somebody could come up with something that would 
do GPS indoor at strange malls or places a person 
is not familiar with.  I know it is 
technologically impossible because of the 
satellites, but I would love to be able to find 
the exit at the Mall of America without my husband or asking directions.

Connie Canode
At 10:48 AM 12/2/2011, you wrote:
>I like the way my plain white cane works. It 
>might be well and good, but what is wrong with 
>paying attention to what the plain white cane is 
>telling you when traveling. Just my opinion. 
>Gloria Whipple Corresponding Secretary Inland 
>Empire chapter nfb of WA -----Original 
>Message----- From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
>[mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of Nickie Pearl Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 
>05:02 To: Blind Talk Mailing List Subject: 
>[Blindtlk] A Cane for the Blind Improves Social 
>Interactions. I think this is an interesting 
>idea! A Cane For The Blind Improves Social 
>Interactions, Sunday Strolls. As scientists make 
>slow and steady progress on sensors to help the 
>blind see and move, this cane helps them say hi 
>to friends. While the National Federation for 
>the Blind is pushing to build an auto interface 
>that lets visually impaired people drive safely 
>and autonomously, design student Selene Chew has 
>a more modest technological breakthrough to help 
>the 285 million people who are blind or 
>partially blind: The BlindSpot cane, a clever 
>and empathetic technological attempt to create 
>new opportunities for social interaction for the 
>visually impaired by harnessing GPS technology 
>and non-visual interface design. “I took the 
>approach to serve their emotional needs more 
>than just their physical needs,” she says. So, 
>for her design program at the National 
>University of Singapore, she built a prototype 
>white cane that doubles as a GPS-enabled 
>smartphone with a tactile and audio interface 
>that lets a blind user walk more confidently 
>while navigating social settings a little more 
>easily than usual. “Their social life is 
>dependent on the people around them. They cannot 
>say hi to a friend without the friend saying hi 
>first,” Chew explains. A blind person could be 
>standing right next to a friend at a bus stop 
>and not know it. The BlindSpot cane will alert 
>the blind friend that someone they know is 
>nearby, and direct them to initiate a hello. 
>That’s an empowering new ability. It’s not a 
>pressing health issue that a blind person 
>won’t ever see a classmate across the quad and 
>be able to go up to them to ask about sharing 
>notes, or that a blind child wouldn’t know his 
>mother arrived at school to pick him up until 
>she comes over to tap him on the shoulder. But 
>each step toward fuller autonomy is an important 
>one for the sensory impaired. The friend-finding 
>feature works because the cane contains a 
>specially designed phone that slots into the 
>handle and connects to a Bluetooth earpiece with 
>an audio interface. A trackball on the handle 
>controls the menu and points which way to go. 
>When a friend checks in on Foursquare (or any 
>other location-sharing service), the cane alerts 
>the blind user with an audio message, saying how 
>far away the person is, down to how many steps 
>it will take to reach them. The cane offers the 
>option to ignore, call the friend, or, most 
>impressively, go find them, an option blind 
>people don’t usually get to experience. “The 
>tactile navigator is a directional pointer that 
>translates GPS map directions into an 'arrow’ 
>that points towards the way to go,” Chew says. 
>In addition to the phone features, the BlindSpot 
>cane also does a better job at its primary 
>function, preventing a blind person from walking 
>into things. An ultrasonic sensor detects 
>obstacles a normal cane would not, like hanging 
>objects, rails, or other protruding structures 
>that the ground-level sweep of a cane might 
>miss. The product demonstration video portrays 
>the everyday danger of a broom handle slanting 
>out of a garbage can, for instance. A standard 
>cane would sweep under the broom without 
>detecting it, leaving the handle dangerously 
>aimed right at the blind walker’s head. The 
>BlindSpot cane senses it and beeps a warning 
>call in the Bluetooth earpiece. And like other 
>minimalist white gadgets with just one button 
>these days, the BlindSpot’s design elegance 
>makes it easier to handle at home. The 
>electronic components detach from the cane to 
>charge, cable-free, on an inductive charging 
>dock. And when the phone component is not 
>inserted, it acts just like a regular cell 
>phone, so you can still accept calls without the 
>Bluetooth headset, controlling the menu with the 
>tactile track ball on the back. Chew is 
>currently looking to find a partner to bring 
>this design to market on an industrial level. 
>She was recently recognized with second prize in 
>the James Dyson Awards. You can read this 
>article and view a video at the link below: 
>http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678887/a-cane-for-the-blind-improves-social-interactions-sunday-strolls 
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 9:37 PM To: 
>david.andrews at nfbnet.org Subject: [Blindtlk] 
>Fwd: NBP-Announce: New: Diary of a Wimpy Kid in 
>braille > >Diary of a Wimpy Kid >By Jeff 
>Kinney >In contracted braille (2 vols) and 
>eBraille, $13.95 >Ages 9-12 > >The Wimpy Kid 
>series has sold over 47 million copies in the 
>U.S. >alone, and been translated into 30 
>languages worldwide. Although >targeted to 
>reluctant boy readers, it has hooked girls, too, 
>making >it the most popular series for that age 
>group, even dusting Harry >Potter! Educators and 
>librarians recommend it because it gets >kids to 
>read. Find out what the hoopla is about by 
>ordering the >first book in the series. > >For 
>the braille edition, we've fully described each 
>comics-style drawing in >the book so braille 
>readers will be able to read the books 
>seamlessly. > >"In this laugh-out-loud novel, 
>Greg tells his story in a series of 
>short, >episodic chapters. Most revolve around 
>the adolescent male curse: the need >to do 
>incredibly dumb things because they seem to be a 
>good idea at the >time. >Yet, unlike some other 
>books about kids of this age, there's no sense 
>of a >slightly condescending adult writer behind 
>the main character. >Lots of fun throughout." 
>--Booklist review >To order or read more about 
>this book online, 
>visit >http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/WIMPY1.html > >  
> >******* >Which FREE book will you choose in 
>our Annual Holiday Book 
>Sale? >http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/hol 
>idaysale.html > > >****** >To order any books, 
>send payment to: >NBP, 88 St. Stephen Street, 
>Boston, MA 02115-4302 >Or call and charge it: 
>toll-free (800) 548-7323 or (617) 266-6160 ext 
>520. >Or order any of our books online 
>at >http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/publications/index. 
>html 
>. > > > >________________________________________ 
>_______ >Nbp mailing list >Nbp at nbp.org > >PLEASE 
>DO NOT respond to this message! It is an 
>automated message and your >query will not reach 
>us. Send questions to orders at nbp.org . > >Visit 
>us at http://www.nbp.org 
>_______________________________________________ 
>blindtlk mailing list blindtlk at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for blindtlk: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/njp%40insightbb.com 
>_______________________________________________ 
>blindtlk mailing list blindtlk at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for blindtlk: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/ladygloria%40webband.com 
>_______________________________________________ 
>blindtlk mailing list blindtlk at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for blindtlk: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/satin-bear%40sbcglobal.net 
>



_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindtlk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/ladygloria%40webband.com





More information about the BlindTlk mailing list