ENGINEERS at the University of Colorado at Boulder have developed a helpful new stick for people with visual impairments – one that uses artificial intelligence (AI).
The researchers say their ‘smart’ walking stick could one day help people with visual impairments navigate tasks in a world designed for sighted people, such as shopping for a box of cereal or finding a place to sit in a crowded cafeteria.
The team’s walking stick resembles existing canes for the visually impaired.
However, it also includes a few add-ons: Using a camera and computer vision technology, the walking stick maps and catalogs the world around it.
It then guides users by using vibrations in the handle and with spoken directions, such as “reach a little bit to your right”.
In a study, blindfolded subjects were able to find the right chair in a crowded room with obstacles in 10 out of 12 trials with varying levels of difficulty.
The team also tested their stick on a grocery shelf stocked with several different kinds of cereal.
Study subjects then used the walking stick to scan the shelf, looking for the product they wanted.
The researchers hope their preliminary results would inspire other engineers to rethink what robotics and AI are capable of in terms of helping those with disabilities.
– IOL
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