Shoes for Blind and Visually Impaired People

Advancements in technology could one day make the white cane obsolete. In the past, we've covered stories about smart backpacks and robotic guide dogs. Now, computer scientists are creating shoes for blind and visually impaired people. The Austrian company Tec-Innovation's "InnoMake" shoe uses a camera-based AI image recognition system and ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles in the path of blind and visually impaired people.

"Ultrasonic sensors on the toe of the shoe detect obstacles up to four meters away," says Markus Raffer, one of the founders of Tec-Innovation, who is himself visually impaired. "The wearer is then warned by vibrations and/or acoustic signals. This works very well and is also already a great help to me personally."

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“Innovative shoe warns blind people of obstacles”