The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, has developed a technology that will help blind people to sense an object at three metres distance. The institute has sold the technology to Britain’ Welcome Trust.
The present devices available in the market can catch the signals of the objects only at knee length. But the device developed by the IIT, named smart cane, will help the blind sense the object even if it is higher than the knee length, like a pole or any other taller structure.
“This device will help the blind in a great way and make their daily life easy,” IIT director Surendra Prasad said.
The company has bought the technology for Rs. 3.2 crores.
Smart cane sends signal to the blind through vibrations. The message also contains information what kind of object is in the way. The cane employs an ultrasonic transreceiver which sends an ultrasonic wave at regular intervals. The micro controller helps in determining the direction and distance of the object from the cane.
The receiver then sends the signal to the vibrator which vibrates the cane in various patterns, depending upon the proximity and nature of the obstacle. The complete mechanism is powered by a rechargeable battery, that mobile phones and digital phones have.
Earlier, the students of IIT-D developed an identification system for buses. The system has user module and bus module. The blind people has the user module and the bus module is fitted at the entrance of the bus door. With this device, blind can know about any bus within the range of one to 15 metres.