[nfbmi-talk] Technology AdvancementFW: [blind-gay] Posted by: don Brown

Terry D. Eagle terrydeagle at yahoo.com
Mon Nov 23 15:33:51 UTC 2015


  

As the trend for wearable technology continues, using fashion accessories as
an extension of your smartphone is becoming increasingly common. However now
two entrepreneurial engineers from the Tec de Monterrey institute in Mexico
have taken wearable technology beyond just emails and social networking, by
creating a bracelet with a very specific purpose, to help the visually
impaired navigate more safely the world around them.

 

Based on an echo system, as used by animals such as bats and dolphins, the
Sunu Band bracelet emits high-frequency sound waves that bounce after
hitting an object, before recording these waves with a proximity sensor and
calculating the distance. The bracelet then sends this information to the
wearer using vibrations, which increase in frequency the closer the wearer
gets to the object. The bracelet can be used both in and outdoors and has a
range of 4.5 meters.

 

Sunu Band Bracelet 

The Sunu band emits high-frequency sound waves to calculate distances of
objects.

 

#smart bands #sonar #sunu band #wearables 

 

The entrepreneurs behind the design, Marco Antonio Trujillo Tejeda and
Cuauhtli Padilla Arias, have also developed a tag to go with the bracelet
that locates lost objects. Place the tag on an object such as keys, and the
tag will communicate the location of the object to user via Bluetooth,
sending the information to the bracelet or a smartphone, using vibrations
which will indicate to the user the distance of the object. 

 

The bracelet is currently protected by international patent and is in the
process of being internationally produced in Mexico. It will go on pre-sale
through a crowdfunding campaign on indiegogo.com starting this month.

 

More industry innovations to aid the visually impaired

 

Also available to assist the visually impaired with mobility is the
BuzzClip. A small, discreet device that clips onto your clothing, the
BuzzClip uses ultrasound to detect the objects around wearer, alerting them
to potential obstacles with vibrations. The wearer can select the range,
either 1 or 2 meters, and as one gets closer to the objects, the frequency
and intensity of the vibrations increase. Users can also wear more than one
BuzzClip at a time, to receive even more information about their
surroundings, and protect all sides of the body from possible collisions.
Originally thought up in August 2014, BuzzClick, based out of Canada, is now
available for pre-order on indiegogo.com, and is due to go into production
in February 2016 for March-April deliveries.

 

Other wearable technology currently in development for the visually impaired
is the Dot watch, the first braille smart watch. Compatible with both iOS
and Android devices, the design coming out of South Korea allows the blind
and those with poor vision to check not only the time, but also messages and
tweets when connected to a mobile device. Available to pre-order now and
aiming to be on sale in the US, UK, and Korea between April and June 2016,
with other English-speaking countries following soon after, it will retail
at $300.




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