I wonder what the shoe will see, when my foot's in it's usual position, firmly inserted in my mouth? :) On Jul 17, 2012, at 9:55 PM, Lynne wrote: > Hmm. Well, it certainly will give "pounding the pavement" new meaning.". grin > > Ah, so many thoughts come to mind. > Thanks much for this, Ellen > Lynne > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Ellen Rubin > To: infoshare@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Cc: GENE BOURQUIN > Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:33 PM > Subject: [infoshare] Fwd: Who Would Think! > >> F Y I!! What will they think of next??? > > > Ellen > >> Subject: [SDT-BLND] Footwear for the blind: Bluetooth shoes >> Footwear for the Blind: Bluetooth shoes >> The Economist http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/07/footwear-blind >> JUL 14 2012, 9:09 by A.A.K. ~ Mumbai >> MORE than 285m people across the globe suffer from visual impairment. >> Yet the tools to assist the blind in walking have changed little since the >> 1920s, when their canes started being painted white to make other >> pedestrians more aware of their presence. The gizmos that do exist have >> tended to be expensive and clunky, and have not caught on. This may change >> if Anirudh Sharma, a 24-year-old computer engineer from Hyderabad, a city in >> the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has his way. >> >> His innovation, dubbed "Le Chal" ("take me along" in Hindi) pairs a >> smartphone app with a small actuator sewn inside the sole of one shoe via >> Bluetooth. The user tells the phone his desired destination, which is >> translated into electronic commands using voice-recognition software. The >> app, which can be programmed to run in the background, fetches the local map >> of the area. The phone's Global Positioning System (GPS) tracks the person's >> location in real-time, telling the actuator to vibrate when it is time to >> turn. The side of the shoe where the vibration is felt indicates which way >> to go. Mr Sharma opted for a vibrating signal because for the blind, who >> rely on their sense of hearing to make sense of the environment, audio >> feedback is a distraction. >> >> The system does not require constant internet access. Once downloaded, maps >> can be stored locally and combined with GPS data. The app uses Open Street >> Maps (OSM), an open-source rival to Google Maps. OSM allows editing, a >> helpful feature in updating rapidly changing urban landscapes. A speed-dial >> function can rapidly retrieve the most frequently visited routes. >> >> The shoe pod is also equipped with an obstacle-detection mechanism. A sensor >> in the tip of the shoe, devised by Mr Sharma's business partner, Krispian >> Lawrence, scans the vicinity using sonar, which emits ultrasounds that >> bounce off obstacles, indicating their presence. The shoe sets off a >> distinct pattern of vibrations to alert the person of any obstruction and >> guides him around it. >> >> For now, the footwear, being tested at the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, one of >> India's biggest eye-health facilities, may be most useful in areas with >> little or no traffic, such as quiet residential streets or parks. The >> challenge, Mr Lawrence says, is to get the algorithm to tell an uncovered >> manhole from a flight of stairs, but he expects it to be able to do so in >> due course. Dealing with moving obstacles like cars may take longer, though >> the pair are working on ways to alert wearers not just about cars' presence, >> but also their speed. >> >> To ensure that the final product resembles a regular shoe, fashion >> technologists are being consulted to help with ergonomics and design. >> >> Mr Sharma and Mr Lawrence, who started a company called Ducere Technologies >> to commercialise their idea, say their high-tech brogues should not cost >> more than an ordinary, stylish pair. Many of the world's visually impaired >> will like the sound of that.