Listed below, in alphabetical order, are commercially available
electronic travel aids for the blind. I obtained most of the information
from a publication entitled: "Electronic
Mobility Devices or Obstacle Detectors for Blind and Partially
Sighted People, Devices which are currently available 18 April
1994," by Gill Whitney, Royal
National Institute for the Blind. The article entitled "Mobility
Devices," by Leicester W. Farmer, which appears in Foundations
of Orientation and Mobility, edited by Richard L. Welsh, and
Bruce B. Blash, American Foundation
for the Blind, New York (1980) describes some of the older
devices listed below in much detail. Peter
Meijer's external links webpage is a nice compendium of links
to all sorts of research on blind aids. Dr. John Gill of RNIB
also has a great page on available
devices. Tom Brennan has posted instruction
manuals for these devices. Similarly, the Institute
for Innovative Navigation has an excellent website on blind
navigation technologies. Module
4 of a course offered by Texas Tech University also outlines
advantages and disadvantages of various ETAs. For a listing of
ETA patents, see my patents
webpage.
There are two major components to an electronic travel aid, the
sensor and the display. Under the heading "Sensor,"
I identify some characteristics of the sensor and how it is mounted.
Under the heading "Display," I indicate how the device
presents spatial information to the blind traveler. Since we live
in a three dimensional space, an object's position is determined
by three coordinates, the azimuth, elevation and range with respect
to the user. Hence, I've identified how information regarding
each of these coordinates is conveyed to the blind user via the
remaining senses of hearing and touch. For more detailed information,
see my web page "On
Electronic Travel Aid Design." and the on line text "Electronic Travel
Aids: New Directions for Research," National Academy
Press, (1986).
Device: Batcane/Ultracane
Cambridge Consultants for Sound Foresight
email: info@soundforesight.co.uk
Cost:
Sensor: Ultrasonic sensor located on long cane.
Display: Vibration
Device: BAT "K" Sonar Cane
Bay Advanced Technologies, LTD (BAT)
31/7 Saint Vincent Avenue
Remuera
Auckland 1005
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 5228872
email: inquiries@batforblind.co.nz
Cost: NZ$ 900.00
Weight:
Sensor: Ultrasonic sensor that attaches to your long cane.
Display: azimuth: hand orientation
elevation: hand orientation
range: the closer the object, the lower the pitch.
Users can simultaneously track multiple objects,
and sense object texture. Hear how it sounds.
Device: CDM-90
Manufacturer: Shanghai Acoustical Laboratory
Academia Sinica,
456 Xiao Mu Qiao Lu
Shanghai 200032
China.
Cost: $280
Weight: <0.1 Kg.
Sensor: ultrasonic, headmounted spectacles with control box
Display: azimuth: head-azimuth,
elevation: head-elevation
range: the closer the object, the higher the pitch of
a tone (beep) and the faster its repetition rate.
Device: C2 Talking Compass (formerly Columbus)
Manufacturer: Robotron Pty.Ltd.
Sensory Tools Division
Robotron Group
15 Stamford Road
Oakleigh 3166, Australia
Tel +61 3 9568 2568
Fax +61 3 9568 1377
Cost: $69.95
Weight: 2.2 oz.
Sensor: Mechanical magnetic compass with digital output
Display: Digitized speech
azimuth: 8 cardinal points
Device: GuideCane
Manufacturer: University of Michigan
Dept. of Mech.Eng. & Appl. Mech.
Advanced Technologies Lab
1101 Beal Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2110
Tel:
email:johannb@umich.edu
Cost: Prototype
Weight:
Sensor: Ultrasonic
Display: Tactual: GuideCane is a robotic guide dog which pulls
the user on a clear path around obstacles.
Patent#: 5,687,136
Device: Handguide
Guideline
Tel: 1-800-809 1849
email:wkramer1@comcast.net
Cost: $79.00
Weight:
Sensor: Infrared 4 foot range
Display: Vibration, chirping
Device: Lasercane
Manufacturer: Nurion Raycal
Station Square Building 2, Suite B
Paoli, Pennsylvania 19301
USA
Phone: 610-640-2345; Fax: 610-647-2216
email:info@nurion.net
Cost: $2500
Weight: <0.5 Kg.
Sensor: laser measurement by triangulation mounted on long cane
Display: azimuth: cane azimuth
elevation: objects detected for two distinct elevations,
forward and ~45 degrees in the forward/upward
direction and signaled by two different tones
and vibrational rates; Also drop-off warning
upon disappearance of ground surface.
range: Tone/vibration presented for objects
detected within 12 feet.
Patent#: 3,198,952
Device: Laser cane optical bar code reader
Manufacturer: Sten Löfving Optical sensors
Kvarnbergsgatan 4
S-411 05 Gothenburg, Sweden
Phone: +46-(0)31-711 25 35
Fax: +46-(0)31-711 49 46
email:sten.lofving@mbox300.swipnet.se
Cost:
Weight:
Sensor: laser
Display: azimuth:
elevation:
range: 15 meters.
Device: MiniGuide
Manufacturer: GDP Research
Adelaide, Australia
email: websales@gdp-research.com.au
Cost: $250
Weight: 20 grams (<1 ounce)
Sensor: Ultrasonic
Display: azimuth:
elevation:
range: pitch, musical tone, tactile up to 4 meters.
watchdog lowpower mode;
Device: MoBIC Travel Aid
Manufacturer University of Magdeburg
Department of Computer Science
Institute of Simulation and Graphics
Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg
D-39106 Magdeburg
Germany
Tel:49 391 5592 3773
email:tstr@isg.cs.uni-magdeburg.de
Cost:
Weight:
Sensor: Radio frequency triangulation via timing signals from the
worldwide Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled to
a digital map database and digital compass.
Display: Voice synthesis
azimuth: voice synthesis
elevation:
range: voice synthesis
Device: Mowat Sensor (no longer available)
Manufacturer: Pulse Data International Ltd.
1 Expo Place
Christchurch, New Zealand
Tel: 643 384 4555
Cost: $775
Weight: 0.185 Kg.
Sensor: Ultrasonic, handheld
Display: azimuth: hand orientation
elevation: hand orientation
range: the closer the object, the faster the vibrator
rate, and the louder the sound (via earphone);
switchable maximum detection range of 1 meter or
4 meters;
Patent#: 3,718,896
Device: Pilot Light, mini-radar
Manufacturer: Seal
Corso Francia, 98
10093 Collegno (Torino)
Italy
Tel: 11 411 2255
email: pilotlight@tin.it
Cost: 356
Weight: 0.170 Kg.
Sensor: Infrared, handheld
Display: azimuth: hand orientation
elevation: hand orientation
range: the closer the object, the louder the sound and
the more intense the vibration. Adjustable detection range up
to 3.5 meters. Responsive to infrared talking signage.
Device: Polaron
Manufacturer: Nurion Raycal
Station Square Building 2, Suite B
Paoli, Pennsylvania 19301
USA
Phone: 610-640-2345; Fax: 610-647-2216
email:info@nurion.net
Cost: $870
Weight: 0.257 Kg.
Sensor: ultrasonic, handheld
Display: azimuth: hand orientation
elevation: hand orientation
range: the closer the object, the higher the pitch of a tone,
and the more intense the vibration. Selectable detection ranges
of 4 feet, 8 feet, and 16 feet.
Device: Russell Pathsounder
Manufacturer: Russell, Lindsay
100 Memorial Dr., Suite 5-18-C
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-547-0819
Sensor: Ultrasonic, chest-mounted
Display: Vibratory/Auditory
Azimuth: Chest azimuth
Elevation: Chest elevation
Range: Buzz at 6 ft, high-pitched beeping at 32 inches.
Patent#: 3,321,737
Device: Sensory 6
Manufacturer: Brytech, Inc.
P.O. Box 8823
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1G 3J2
Phone: (613) 731-5800
Fax: (613) 731-5812
Cost: $950
Weight: 0.3 Kg.
Sensor: Ultrasonic, head mounted spectacles and control box
Display: azimuth: head orientation
elevation: head orientation
range: the closer the object, the higher the pitch of a tone
Selectable detection ranges of 2 meters and 3.5 meters.
Device: KASPA:SonicGuide(no longer manufactured) See BAT "K" Sonar Cane (entry above)
Manufacturer: SonicVisioN
Cost: $3300
Weight: Kg.
Sensor: Wideangle ultrasonic, head mounted with control box
Display: azimuth: binaural interaural intensity difference
elevation: head elevation
range:the closer the object,
the lower the pitch. Users can simultaneously track multiple
objects, and sense object texture. Sound delivered via a pair
of small tubes so as not to mask environmental sounds.
Patent#: 4,292,678 4,310,903
Device: Sonic Pathfinder
Manufacturer: Perceptual Alternatives
40 Rowan St.
Doncaster East
Victoria 3109
Australia
Tel: +61 (0) 3 98 48 96 94
email: t.heyes@optometry.unimelb.edu.au (Tony Heyes)
Cost: $US 1695
Weight: Headband: 125gms. Electronics: 200 gms.
Sensor: Ultrasonic headmounted array
Display: azimuth: for objects toward the left, tone presented to left
ear, for objects toward the right, tone presented to right
ear, and for objects in front, tone presented to both ears.
elevation: head orientation
range: specific object range given as notes of a musical scale,
each note covering approximately 30 centimeters. Object detection range
is automatically adjusted by microprocessor, increasing as the
user's walking speed increases. Maximum range is 2.4 meters.
Thus the device automatically adjusts its range according to the
walking speed of the user.
Sound delivered via earphones held near to, but not covering, the ears
so as not to mask environmental sounds.
Battery life after a full charge: 30 hours.
Patent#: UK number: 1604304
Device: Strider(development on hold)
Manufacturer: Arkenstone, Inc.
555 Oakmead Parkway
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
USA
Tel:(408) 245-5900
(800) 444-4443
Cost:
Weight: 5.0 Kg.
Sensor: Radio frequency triangulation via timing signals from the
worldwide Global Positioning System (GPS) coupled to
a digital map database.
Display: Voice synthesis.
azimuth: voice synthesis
elevation:
range: voice synthesis
Patent#: 5,470,233
Device: Talking Radar Cap
Manufacturer: BestPluton Europe
Montmorency, France
Tel: 33 1 39 64 05 90
email: Bestpluton@free.fr
Cost: ¤270
Weight: 60 grams
Sensor: CCD, GPS, compass, ocr
Display: Talking, bilingual English/French
Can actually record your trip and return you back to your
starting point via the GPS system! Can read signs via OCR!
Device: Talking Signs
Manufacturer: Talking Signs Company
812 North Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Tel: (888) 825-5746
Fax: (504) 344-2811
email:ward@talkingsigns.com
Cost:
Weight:
Sensor: infrared, handheld
Display: reception of recorded message over an infrared
communication system from a transmitter located
at a particular landmark.
Patent#: 5,623,358 5,616,901 5,757,530
Device: Talking Lights
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
2232 Webster Street
San Francisco, CA. 94115
Tel: 415-561-1620
Device: vOICe Learning Edition
Manufacturer: Peter Meijer
Philips Research Laboratories
Prof. Holstlaan 4
5656 AA Eindhoven
The Netherlands
Phone: not public
email: http://www.visualprosthesis.com/contact.htm
Cost: $0 (Freeware evaluation version)
Weight: Kg.
Sensor: Videoconferencing camera (webcam)
Display: Stereo headphones
azimuth: binaural panning and timing
elevation: height is mapped to pitch
range: implicit via movement and recognition
Patent#: 5,097,326
Device: Walkmate
Manufacturer: SafeTech International, Inc.
311 Commercial Ave. Suite 210
Palisades Park, New Jersey 07650
USA
Tel: 201-461-2505
Cost: $185
Weight: 0.2835 Kg.
Sensor: Ultrasonic handheld or chest worn
Display: azimuth: hand or chest orientation
elevation: hand orientation
range: indication via tones of varying pitch, and via vibrator.
Maximum detection range is 6 feet, beeping and vibrational rate
increases when object is 3 feet away.
Device: Wheelchair Mobility Device
Manufacturer: REMAP
c/o John Wright
Hazeldene
Igtham
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN15 9AD
Tel: 0732 883818
Cost: $Donation
Device: Wheelchair Pathfinder
Manufacturer: Nurion Raycal
Station Square Building 2, Suite B
Paoli, Pennsylvania 19301
USA
Phone: 610-640-2345; Fax: 610-647-2216
email:info@nurion.net
Cost: $2500-$4500
Weight:
Sensor: Ultrasonic, wheelchair mounted
Display: azimuth: wheelchair mounted side detectors warn users of objects
within 1 foot of side of chair so user can travel parallel to wall.
elevation:
range: drop off and step detection,
Last updated 21 September 2005
Keywords: Electronic travel aids, ETA, Electronic mobility devices,
Mobility aids, Obstacle detectors, Navigational aids, Blind aids,
Electronic spatial sensing, Spatial orientation, Spatial perception.
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1996-2005 by Duen
Hsi Yen, All rights reserved.
E-mail: yen@noogenesis.com