Among many health-care-related challenges facing developing countries,
visual impairment remains a major issue. Some technology entrepreneurs
are coming up with new ideas for products that could have an impact on
the lives of blind people.
Globally, the number of visually impaired people, either partially or
completely, is estimated at 285 million, according to the World Health
Organization. More than 90% of visually impaired people live in
developing countries, the WHO data show. Common causes of visual
impairment are myopia, astigmatism, cataracts and glaucoma.
Visually impaired people in developing countries usually rely on basic
walking canes to detect obstacles around them. While there are
technologically advanced walking canes—such as those equipped with
ultrasonic sensors or laser technology—some young engineers are trying
to provide blind people with alternatives to canes.
In India, the inspiration for a new device that helps blind people
walk safely came from a motion-sensing technology used for videogames.
A team of three young Indian engineers—Jatin Sharma, Tushar Chugh and
Rolly Seth—has designed viSparsh, a waist belt that helps a blind
person avoid obstacles that are on and above the ground.
ViSparsh, one of the 12 finalists in The Wall Street Journal's Asian
Innovation Awards, employs the sensor technology used in Microsoft
Corp.'s MSFT -1.68% Kinect, an accessory for the U.S. company's Xbox
360 videogame console that enables people to play games using their
body movements and gestures instead of hand-held controllers.
The three engineers, who met through an academic fellowship program,
started developing viSparsh a year ago and showcased a prototype at
Microsoft's annual developer conference in Bangalore in March. In May,
Microsoft hired them as full-time employees. Still, the engineers
maintain their sole ownership of the viSparsh project, which will
license out the sensor technology used in Kinect.
The belt-like device has an infrared optic sensor that can detect
obstacles as distant as 3.7 meters, the engineers say. The device was
designed to immediately grasp the direction and distance of the
object, and alerts the user by sending vibration signals from either
the left, center or right part of the belt depending on where the
obstacle is.
The three engineers are now working on reducing the size of viSparsh
and increasing its efficiency. Mr. Chugh, one of the engineers, says
it will take another eight months before the product hits the market.
Devices such as viSparsh cannot be a substitute for human vision, but
"they can break down the barriers for blind people," says Sandeep
Kaler, a project manager at the information-technology unit of the
National Association for the Blind, an Indian nonprofit aimed at
empowering the blind through education and training. More than 95% of
blind people in India currently use basic walking canes, according to
Mr. Kaler.
In India, viSparsh isn't the only attempt to create new devices that
can help the blind navigate the streets more safely. One product that
is being developed is the Smartcane, a white walking cane that uses
ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles up to three meters and sends
vibratory signals to the user. The device was designed by a group of
students at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, and the
institute now runs the project with industrial partners.
The Smartcane, powered by a rechargeable battery similar to those used
in mobile phones and digital cameras, will cost about 2,000 rupees
($38), according to M. Balakrishnan, a professor at the computer
science and engineering department of IIT Delhi, who mentored the
students behind the Smartcane project. It is scheduled to hit the
market next summer.
At present, viSparsh, which isn't yet available to consumers, would
cost more than the Smartcane. Mr. Chugh says the product will
initially cost 8,000 rupees to 9,000 rupees. But, the viSparsh team is
seeking aids and grants from governments and corporate sponsors to
bring down the price to 4,000 rupees or less. If the device can be
mass-produced, its prices would go down even further, he says.
A major advantage of viSparsh, compared with cane-like devices such as
the Smartcane, is that it frees up the user's hands, says Mohammed
Waseem, a former employee of the National Association for the Blind
who tested viSparsh earlier this year. Mr. Waseem says he hasn't
signed any agreement with team to promote viSparsh belt, nor is he
being paid for it.
The idea of developing a belt-like device instead of a cane is based
on Mr. Chugh's observation that many blind people don't like using
canes because they want to look as normal as possible. "It will not
just be a technological change, it will also be a cultural change,"
Mr. Chugh said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443635404578034560033312032.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Search for old postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
with the subject unsubscribe.
To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes,
please
visit the list home page at
http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
