[il-talk] Fw: The BuzzClip - Wearable Technology for the Blind

[Lin H.]

From: Ruda, Sharon 
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 9:31 AM
To: 'Jane Teeter' ; Anthony Chandler ; Bogdan, William ; Debbie Watson ; Deliah Jackson ; mailto:iwannacu2 at sbcglobal.net ; larry at jacil.org ; Margaret Varney ; Maryann Bartkowski ; tonitesfaye at gmail.com ; william.sean.martin at gmail.com 
Subject: The BuzzClip - Wearable Technology for the Blind

I just received this info ad. I have no idea whether this has been vetted by the consumer organizations and found useful. I found it very interesting. Sharon

 

From: JunShuai Huang [mailto:ivorhuang412 at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 8:23 PM
To: Ruda, Sharon
Subject: The BuzzClip - Wearable Technology for the Blind

 

Dear Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service, 

 

We are a start-up company based in Toronto called iMerciv and we wanted to let you know about the development of our new product that caters to the orientation and mobility needs of those living with vision loss. The device has been street tested and very well received by blind and low vision communities in Canada hence our excitement to let your members know about it. The newly launched BuzzClip is a small and discreet wearable device that helps those living with vision loss with day to day traveling by detecting obstacles in one’s immediate environment and then notifying the wearer of these obstacles through intuitive vibrations. It uses ultrasound to detect any obstacle it is pointing at and vibrates faster and stronger as the obstacle/person gets closer. 

 

The BuzzClip is an electronic device that offers upper body protection that is sometimes missed by a guide dog or cane. It is not meant to be a replacement for the cane or a guide dog rather it is supposed to work in tandem with traditional aids to provide the user more information on their surroundings, particularly at head level. The BuzzClip can be easily attached to many forms of clothing (i.e it can be clipped on a lapel of a winter jacket, on a collar, sleeves (long or short) and the lining of one’s belt) making it a highly versatile and useful device.

 

Our current users are really finding the BuzzClip useful for a variety of different scenarios. A common one is standing in line ups (at a bank or coffee shop). Our users are able to gauge the distance to the person in front of them and follow the line based on the vibrations. It’s useful for finding doorways and hallways as well. People have also found it useful in social situations by being able to detect the person they are talking to and would also come to know when that person has left. Some of our testers use multiple BuzzClips at once for greater coverage and more information about their surroundings. 

 

A lot of effort was put into optimizing the user experience of the device. Limiting it to 1m and 2m modes reduces false positives and only provides vibratory feedback if there are obstacles or people in your path or coming directly at you. The device goes to sleep if you are at a fixed distance from something or someone for over 3 seconds so that it doesn't constantly vibrate if you are talking to someone for example. It reactivates again if the distance changes for more than 10 cm. So once it is switched on, the user can simply carry on their usual routine without the need to operate the device constantly. The battery will last for a full days use (10 hours) on a single charge and it is rechargeable through a Micro-USB cable. (just like android phones)

 

More information/videos on our product can be found here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-buzzclip-wearable-ultrasound-for-the-blind/x/11673979#/ 

The link above is our Indiegogo page address and Indiegogo is one of the largest Crowdfunding websites in the world that is based in the United States just like Kickstarter. For the next 10 days, we are offering the first 100 BuzzClips at a discounted price of $129 USD. (Only 30 left!) The price will increase to $149 after the Early Birds run out. We also offer bundle packs for an even bigger discount.

 

If anyone has difficulty navigating through the campaign page, the Indiegogo app on the iphone is completely accessible and incase one wants to order an Early Bird BuzzClip, here is the direct link to place an order: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-buzzclip-wearable-ultrasound-for-the-blind/contributions/new/#/contribute?perk_amt=129&perk_id=3095246

 

Hope this information helps. Please share this information with your network as well as anyone who would benefit from using a device like this.

If you have any questions for us, we would be happy to answer them. You can send us an email at info at imerciv.com

You can also reach the founders of the company, Bin Liu and Arjun Mali at  +1 (647) 919 6565 for Bin and +1 (647) 919 9269 for Arjun.

 

Thank You & Best Regards,

 

Arjun Mali

Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer

iMerciv Inc.

Email: arjunmali at imerciv.com    .    Phone: (647)-919-9269    .    www.imerciv.com

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