[nagdu] Fw: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.

Wed Nov 16 16:13:30 UTC 2011

He was talking about the laser cane, the Mowat sensor, and such doodads. 
There used to be a few things like that, but I haven't heard of any new
ones, except the occasional robot.  But I'm not really in the loop,
either.
Tracy

> thank you.
> Maybe he was talking about a different kind of feedback system?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 10:53 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>
> The laser cane was like a cane, only very fat, and pretty heavy.  It had a
> laser, I guess, that shot out a ray to find stuff in front of the user,
> and then something would vibrate against the user's hand to indicate the
> direction and distance of the found object, as I recall.  It must be 30
> years since I saw one.
> I remember an R&D discussion at a national convention some time ago.  The
> presenter was one of our NFB scientists.  He was saying that what blind
> people need is something to detect obstacles at a greater distance than a
> cane does, then he went through various attempts to make that happen.  It
> was interesting, but I wanted to point out that we already have a mobility
> aid that detects obstacles at a distance.  It's called a guide dog.  That
> would have gone over like a lead baloon.
>
> This robot guide dog thing seems to come up every few years.  Doesn't seem
> to be catching on, though.
> Tracy
>
>
>> Dan, where are you?
>> Respond re culture!
>> Passing this to Dan who can talk about the culture aspects better then
>> anybody.
>> And no, what is/was the laser cane???
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of Tracy Carcione
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 9:56 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>>
>> I have never noticed Japanese people in general having bad attitudes
>> towards dogs.  But they do have a real thing for robotic pets.  Very
>> strange.
>> I wouldn't want a robot guide dog because I think it would be likely to
>> break down.  Remember the laser cane, long ago?  It was interesting, but
>> one couldn't use it if it was cold, or hot, or wet.  Made it pretty
>> useless.
>> Is a robo dog any sturdier?  And can it go on stairs?  (Darlek at bottom
>> of stairs:  "Our plans for world domination will have to be delayed!")
>> Tracy
>>
>>> Maybe maybe not. It depends on what you want and how you want it done.
>>> The Japanese are certainly the ones to do this based on their
>>> technological abilities and their cultural attitudes about dogs.
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of frandi.galindo at gmail.com
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 8:54 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fw: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>>>
>>>         I don't know about you all, but I would feel extremely and I
>>> mean
>>> extremely weird if I had a machine as a guide.  Especially one that
>>> looks
>>> like a dog.  Its just not normal.  Ok, I know we have Global
>>> positioning
>>> systems that many of us blind or visually impaired individuals use to
>>> help
>>> us get around, but so do the sighted.  A machine can't show you the
>>> emotional support that a real live dog can.  I will stop now before I
>>> go
>>> in
>>> to a book long rant, but do you see where I am going with this?
>>> Nothing
>>> is
>>> as good as the real thing.  The living will always do better than the
>>> machine.  At least with guiding.
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Ed Meskys
>>> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 4:56 PM
>>> To: nagdu ; dogGuideUsersNH at yahoogroups.com
>>> Cc: Toni Piper ; Jessie Laurie ; jeanne wardwell ; Joannie Cirnigliaro
>>> ;
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>>> Palter
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>>> Subject: [nagdu] Fw: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>>>
>>> Subject: New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>>>
>>>
>>> BITS.
>>> New From Japan: Robotic Guide Dog.
>>> NY Times Monday, 2011_11_14
>>> By NICK BILTON. Guide dogs for the blind
>>> could soon be out of a job.
>>> NSK, a Japanese company, is hard at work on a robotic dog that can roll
>>> across
>>> floors,
>>> climb stairs and assist those with limited or no sight. The robots,
>>> which
>>> can be
>>> seen in the video above, have been in the works for several years. The
>>> latest
>>> version
>>> is the third.
>>> The newest robot can move up to 10 times faster than the company's
>>> previous
>>> ones.
>>> Its legs have been improved to help it avoid collisions and tripping
>>> over
>>> itself.
>>> According to NSK, the machines are technically called 'quadruped
>>> walking
>>> robots,'
>>> because they use four legs to move.
>>> Robotics researchers have also given the latest guide dog the gift of
>>> sight
>>> by
>>> adding
>>> a Microsoft Kinect camera to its head. This can help it to navigate
>>> stairs
>>> and
>>> other
>>> obstacles. Kinect cameras are traditionally used for video games on the
>>> Microsoft
>>> Xbox 360 but are also often used in robotics projects.
>>> The company will exhibit the latest version of the robot this week at
>>> the
>>> 2011
>>> International
>>> Robot Exhibition in Ariake, Japan.
>>>
>>>
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