[NFBSF] Robotic guide dog prototype?

[Jessie Lorenz]

Greetings,
I think a robot guide dog,  in tandem with other travel skills could be amazing and revolutionary.
I have had working dogs for over 20 years. The warm  blooded partnership   is magical, reassuring and creates a sense of companionship.  Yet, a   robot could replace a dog in a lot of practical ways. Robots could be distributed to a wider range of people in the community along the visually impaired continuum, no matter their age or other disabilities. Robots could be taught specific routes or how to respond in certain situations, and be helpful by translating information about what’s around you, either using maps or LiDAR.   
From a marketing perspective they should not call it a robot guide dog, that will not fly within the blindness community, Who love our dogs! 😎   I’d like a  robot assistant like R2-D2.  
A lot of these projects are sighted people projecting their ideas onto a blind person‘s life. i’ve never seen this project, so I have nothing to say on the project or If this     specific robot is helpful.  In short,  think the robot  idea itself is cool. 

Composed  on iPhone using Siri.


On Apr 22, 2021, at 2:29 PM, Mike Hingson via NFBSF <nfbsf at nfbnet.org> wrote:

I have heard rumors. Also, someone in Japan has been working on one. Like
you, I am skeptical. There are several factors such as intelligent
disobedience that AI will at some point fully be able to address, but I
think the technology is still not there.

Also, there is frankly, the human factor, that dogs bring. Dogs have
interactions we can classify as the "human-animal bond" that robots will not
be able to make for a long time. The relationship factor cannot be
underrated.


Best Regards,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBSF On Behalf Of Jim Barbour via NFBSF
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2021 11:01 AM
To: nfbsf at nfbnet.org
Cc: Jim Barbour <jbar at barcore.com>
Subject: [NFBSF] Robotic guide dog prototype?

Hey All,

Just curious if anyone has seen or heard of this robotic guide dog from UC
Berkeley?  I'd love to know more.

https://www.republicworld.com/technology-news/science/robotic-guide-dogs-cou
ld-help-visually-impaired-people-navigate-the-world-heres-how.html

I will say that I am quite skeptical about the claims made, but there still
might be value.

Jim


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