Guide dogs may soon be out of a job thanks to a high-tech set of
glasses and shoes invented by scientists to help blind people
navigate the trickiest of terrain.
Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University say the glasses
and shoes, which have a built-in computer, detect objects within
close proximity through echo location then send a vibrating warning
to the wearer.
"Ultrasonic waves are sent out and when they bounce back they
are interpreted by a receiver, Research Institute of Innovative
Products and Technologies Director Wallace Leung Woon-fong, told
Hong Kong's Sunday Morning Post.
"Once an obstacle is detected the shoes will vibrate, perhaps
increasing in intensity as the obstacle gets closer," he added.
The shoes will use GPS (Global Positioning System) to tell the
wearer where he is and which direction he is going in.
"The shoe will be able to detect steps, holes in the road and
obstacles within a 5-centimeter vertical distance," Leung said.
The innovations are based on the award winning "electronic bat
ears" sonic glasses developed by the university's Professor He
Jufang, which use similar technology to relay information such as
size and distance of an object to the wearer.
But some blind people have expressed reservations about the
inventions.
"There are so many bumps in Hong Kong's roads. If I wear the
shoes I will end up shaking and vibrating all day," said Chow
Wing-cheung.
(China Daily August 7, 2006)