[nabs-l] Fwd: [LCA] a cane for the blind improves social interactions]

[Jedi]

Arielle,

I think the idea is a relatively sound one, but I wouldn't implement it 
in a cane. I'd rather leave teh cane the way it is, but use the 
friend-finding technology with already existing cell phone services 
like Facebook mobile or something. Better yet, why not make a iPhone 
app that does the same thing?

Respectfully,
Jedi

Original message:
> Curious what y'all think of this. Would anyone actually use it?
> Arielle

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Linda Coccovizzo <linda at coccovizzo.com>
> Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:07:03 -0600
> Subject: [LCA] a cane for the blind improves social interactions]
> To: John <johncoccovizzo at yahoo.com>, bviparents at yahoogroups.com,
> Missouri Chat <chat at moblind.org>, "Adaptive technology information and
> support." <ati at moblind.org>, LCA at yahoogroups.com

> Wow.  Now wouldn't this be cool?  This article, however, does not
> reflect my opinion on the work the NFB has done on the the car.  I think
> that's pretty exciting as well.

> Linda C.

> A Cane For The Blind Improves Social Interactions, Sunday Strolls

>>  Photo courtesy of: The Dyson Awards

>>  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 BlSpot  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 BlSpot 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 'arrowb that points towards the way to go," Chew
> says.

>>  In addition to the phone features, the BlSpot 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  walkerbs head.  The BlSpot 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 BlSpotbs 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.

>>  Copyright 2011 Mansueto Ventures, LLC.

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