>From: "Steve Pattison" <srp@bigpond.net.au>
>Date: Fri, 01 Mar 2002 21:48:10 +1100
>Subject: Fwd: Bats Inspire New Cane for the Blind
>To: gui-talk@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing List)
>
>
>
>To: rompers@yahoogroups.com
>From: Mark Hamer in AUS sugardad@goldenit.net.au
>
>LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists said on Thursday they had created
>a
>cane inspired by bats to help blind and partially sighted people find
>their
>stride.
>
>Bats maneuver easily by bouncing high-pitched sounds off nearby objects
>in
>a process called "echolocation."
>
>Researchers at Britain's Leeds University used this as the model for
>their
>so-called "Batcane," which emits sonar waves inaudible to the human ear
>to
>help users detect obstacles ahead, around, or even above them. Any
>nearby
>object triggers a vibration in one of four pads in the cane's plastic
>handle. As the object gets nearer, the vibration speeds up.
>
>"They will be warned of objects that are just beyond the reach of the
>conventional white cane," said Andrew Diston of Cambridge Consultants
>Ltd,
>which has developed the cane in conjunction with Sound Foresight Ltd.
>
>Diston said the Batcane would help visually impaired people create a
>"mind
>map" of their environment and so encourage independent mobility,
>particularly in cities.
>
>"There are large numbers of blind people who, as their sight degrades,
>are
>confined more and more to their homes," he said. "This will enable
>people
>to venture outside, and could generally improve their quality of life."
>
>The Batcane is expected to hit the market in late 2002.
>
>Diston said user trials were underway in Britain, the United States,
>Canada
>and Germany, with prototypes to be tested by groups such as Guide Dogs
>for
>the Blind and the American Council for the Blind.
>
>The Batcane would be marketed for both blind and visually-impaired
>people.
>"Obviously it won't suit everyone but there's a big market out there,"
>he
>added.
>
>There are 1.4 million people registered as blind in Britain alone,
>according to Guide Dogs for the Blind.
>
>Regards Steve,
>mailto:srp@bigpond.net.au.
>MSN Messenger: internetuser383@hotmail.com.
>
>
>
>
>--
>This mailing list is sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, NFB.
>To view or search an archive of messages for this list, go to: http://www.nfbnet.org
>For more information about the NFB, please call (410) 659-9314, point your
>internet browser to http://www.nfb.org or Telnet to nfbnet.org.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Dec 02 2012 - 01:30:04 PST