3D Printing System Helps Blind People See Obstacles Via Vibrations | iHearts143Quotes

A new 3D printing system lets blind people see obstacles via vibrations. Scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) developed infrared goggles that can help blind people avoid obstacles with vibrating pads, a report from The Independent reveals.

The vibrating pads would allow those who are blind the ability to navigate their environment. by fitting vibrating pads on their forearms, which will enable them to keep their hands free while they navigate.

In a new study published in preprint server arXiv, researchers Manuel Zahn and Armaghan Ahmad Khan wrote, “although the cane allows good detection of objects in the user’s immediate vicinity, it lacks the ability to detect obstacles further away.” Their new tool “demonstrates a promising approach towards using technology to enable more independence for the visually impaired.”

The device uses a pair of infrared cameras inserted into 3D-printed goggles, which captures a stereoscopic image sent to a small computer that creates a map of the user’s surrounding area. The map is then programmed into a 2D vibration array on a haptic feedback sleeve with 25 actuators that communicate the information via vibrations on their forearm.

Since the goggles use infrared cameras, they can help users navigate in the dark. The research shows that volunteers could accurately navigate obstacles with up to 98 percent accuracy. “All users were able to complete the task and showed performance improvement over multiple runs,” the study shows.