NextGuide cane guides blind users via a pointer under their thumb

Blind people using white canes are limited in how fast they can walk, as they have to wait for the tip of their cane to hit obstacles before going around them. The NextGuide cane is different, in that it preemptively steers users around obstacles that … Continue reading NextGuide cane guides blind users via a pointer under their thumb

New kit beams images straight onto the retina from Sony camera

In an effort to help vision-impaired people enjoy taking photographs, Sony has paired with QD Laser to create a retinal projection camera kit. By bypassing the outer layers of the eyes, the kit allows those who would otherwise have difficulty doing so … Continue reading New kit beams images straight onto the retina from Sony camera

OneButtonPIN app buzzes fingers to help blind users unlock their phone

Entering passcodes on smartphones can be difficult for the blind, as they can’t see the screen, nor can they tell if someone else is peeking at it. The OneButtonPIN app is designed to help, by utilizing vibrations instead of visuals.Continue ReadingCat… Continue reading OneButtonPIN app buzzes fingers to help blind users unlock their phone

Study suggests blind people excel at memorizing spoken information

There’s a longstanding belief that when someone loses one ability, another improves correspondingly. New research bears this out – in one scenario, at least – as it indicates that blind people remember spoken information better than their sighted count… Continue reading Study suggests blind people excel at memorizing spoken information

biped wearable applies autonomous car tech to guiding the blind

Self-driving cars already utilize cameras to avoid collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians. Well, the biped wearable device applies that same principle to guiding the blind as they walk along city streets.Continue ReadingCategory: Wearables, Tech… Continue reading biped wearable applies autonomous car tech to guiding the blind

Blind raises $37M to double down on workplace gossip and career advice

Blind has carved out a unique niche in the social-networking world. It’s an app of verified, pseudonymous employees talking to each other about what’s going on at their employers, trading notes on everything from layoffs, to promotions, to policies. Part LinkedIn, part Reddit, part Slack — it’s become widely popular among tech workers at Silicon […] Continue reading Blind raises $37M to double down on workplace gossip and career advice

“Seeing-eye shoes” for the blind to be enhanced with onboard cameras

Manufactured by Austrian startup Tec-Innovation, the InnoMake shoe uses ultrasound sensors to warn blind users of obstacles in their path. The footwear may soon become even more capable, though, thanks to integrated cameras.Continue ReadingCategory: We… Continue reading “Seeing-eye shoes” for the blind to be enhanced with onboard cameras

Backpack AI system helps the visually-impaired navigate safely

Autonomous vehicles and robots use elaborate suites of sensors and cameras to make sense of their surroundings – but visually-impaired people still get by with canes and guide dogs. Now, engineers have developed a voice-activated wearable system that c… Continue reading Backpack AI system helps the visually-impaired navigate safely

Biohybrid artificial retina aims to restore vision using living cells

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a debilitating condition that can lead to total blindness in its later stages. Now, researchers have created a new potential treatment for the currently incurable disease – a biohybrid artificial retina, made o… Continue reading Biohybrid artificial retina aims to restore vision using living cells