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

Gene therapy restores partial vision to totally blind mice

In some forms of blindness, certain parts of the eye still work but damage to light-sensitive cells disrupts vision. Now, researchers at a company called Nanoscope have used gene therapy to bypass damaged cells and restore some level of vision to mice … Continue reading Gene therapy restores partial vision to totally blind mice

Mobility device for the blind works like a handheld robotic guide dog

Guide dogs play an important role as a mobility aid for the visually impaired, but they aren’t the perfect solution for everyone. Things like the cost, smaller living quarters or even allergies can mean that these canines aren’t suitable for many, but … Continue reading Mobility device for the blind works like a handheld robotic guide dog

Ultrasound haptic system projects readable Braille into thin air

For people who rely on Braille, reading displays and signs in public can be a challenge, but a new system could help make things easier. HaptiRead is a haptic feedback device that uses ultrasound pulses in precise patterns to reproduce Braille text in … Continue reading Ultrasound haptic system projects readable Braille into thin air