Toyota plans to launch to a wearable for people with visual impairment, offering guidance through indoor spaces.
The auto giant’s robotics team launched the Project Blaid, a wearable that aims to help blind people find their way around complex interior spaces more easily. Guide dogs are amazingly versatile, but they’re no good at finding the bathroom, or knowing which floor a particular shop or office is on. The cane is essential too, but again, can’t distinguish between one escalator or another.
The device, which resembles a smaller and non-plush neck travel pillow, can be worn on one’s shoulder. The shoulder wearable will be equipped with cameras, speakers and vibration motors to detect the user's surroundings and communicate information to the person through sound or vibration, according to International Business Times.
The user can in turn communicate with the device through voice recognition and buttons. The device is aimed at guiding the users better than canes, dogs and GPS devices while walking down the streets or any location.
Project Blaid is currently in early stage development within Toyota's Partner Robotics group. As development progresses, Toyota plans to add mapping, object identification and facial recognition technologies to make the device more intuitive, ZDNet reported.
As part of this project, the Toyota robotics arm is working with a team of volunteers to improve the product right at its development stage. It is also launching an employee engagement program inviting its team members to submit videos of common indoor landmarks.
Multi-level offices, shopping centers, stations, airports, and many other large public spaces are often confusing enough for sighted people to navigate, and potentially impossible for someone who is blind. Toyota’s concept wearable will make it possible for blind people to explore places previously inaccessible to them.
The Japanese automaker has been working on the development of robotic helpers for the aging population for several years now. For instance, the automaker successfully developed the Human Support Robot to help the disabled or elderly live independently, as well as a range of prototype bots with the same goal.
Wearable is a growing market. In the next five years, it is expected to grow by 36.9 percent compound annual growth rate to reach 560 million shipments.