As technology moves forward, most of the time, its accessibility doesn’t get as much attention as it should. However, that argument is getting weaker and weaker over time thanks to all the positive developments in the world. And one such innovation comes from an Austrian company that has designed a smart shoe called InnoMake which assists blind and visually impaired people in avoiding various obstacles.
The shoe was designed by the Austrian company Tec-Innovation, which is backed by the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz). It has a waterproof ultrasonic sensor attached to the tip of each foot, which sends a signal when an obstacle is nearby through vibrations and noises. Markus Raffer, a founder of Tec-Innovation who was visually impaired, explained that the sensors on the toe of the shoes could detect obstacles up to 13 feet away.
When an obstacle was detected, the sensors would vibrate and make noises to warn the wearer. The vibration would grow faster and more noticeable as the person got closer to the object. This technology was similar to the parking sensors found on newer cars.
Although the shoes were expensive, costing over $3,000 per pair, they were incredibly helpful to those with visual impairments. Each shoe had one sensor, and they could be bought with a pair of shoes or installed on an existing pair. The sensors also came with a USB cable to charge the shoes when they weren’t in use.
The sensors combined two pieces of information to give the wearer a better understanding of their surroundings. They not only detect whether there were objects in the way, but they could also detect the nature of the object. For example, the shoes could tell if there was a hole in the ground or stairs leading up or down and give different warnings for each.
Markus Raffer said, “Not only is the warning that I am facing an obstacle relevant, but also the information about what kind of obstacle I am facing, because it makes a big difference whether it’s a wall, a car, or a staircase.”
The team at Tec-Innovation only created one version of the shoes, but they planned to improve the design even further. The next iteration would include camera-based recognition software and machine learning to help the wearer navigate their environment even better.
Friedrich Fraundorfer at TU Graz explained, “We have developed state-of-the-art deep-learning algorithms modeled on neural networks that can do two main things after detecting and interpreting the content of the image. They use camera images from the foot perspective to determine an area that is free of obstacles and thus safe to walk on, and they can recognize and distinguish objects.”
The scientists even hoped to create a type of “street view navigation map” with the shoes. Fraundorfer said, “It would be much more sustainable if this data could also be made available to other people as a navigation aid.”
The shoes were an incredible innovation that could change the lives of many people with visual impairments. The team at Tec-Innovation had created a product that could help people navigate their surroundings safely and confidently, without fear of running into obstacles.
Sources: AWM, Dailymail, Indiatimes
