What options does a blind person have when he needs a guide dog but cannot afford one? Can they get a robot instead? Anthony Camu, a student at Loughborough University, recently developed a hand-held product that functions more or less as a guide dog, helping blind people navigate effortlessly to their destinations.
Named “Theia”, this handheld portable device receives instructions from the user (“Theia, take me to Starbucks”) and uses the built-in “control moment gyroscope” to physically guide them to their destination, much like Feel when the user is pulling on the leash of a guide dog that will take him somewhere. Theia is also able to process real-time data (such as traffic and weather) to guide users correctly and safely to their destination. According to Anthony, Theia aims to make a blind person’s life enjoyable by teaching them skills that may not otherwise happen to them. Theia is particularly helpful for blind people who, for financial or spatial reasons, cannot afford to have a guide dog with them.
Check out the video below to learn more about Theia.
Theia is still a prototype but has the potential to become a real product in the future. What do you think?
Source: Technik & Technologie
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