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An
Argentine student has invented shoes with ultrasound sensors which allow people
with visual impairments to walk without a cane. The shoes vibrate when the
wearer approaches an object.
The
new shoes for blind people, dubbed 'Duspavoni,' were developed by Juan Manuel
Bustamante, a student at Industrial College #4, and presented at the National
Science Fair in Buenos Aires on Friday. He says he worked on the project for
six months.
"I
wish Duspavoni, my creation, could get to revolutionize the lives of people
with sight problems, partial or total visual impairment,"
he told Ruptly.
The shoes have three ultrasound sensors
placed inside the sole – in the frontal, lateral, and back areas. The sensors
emit ultrasound waves which are reflected by surrounding objects and come back
to the sensor. The shoe vibrates depending on the distance and position of the
objects.
“The closer the object is, the more the device vibrates,”
Bustamante said. “If the object
is ahead, the tip of the shoe vibrates. If it is on the side, the sole
vibrates, and if it is behind, the heel vibrates.”
The
device can detect different kinds of materials, people, and animals within a
25-inch (63.5 centimeter) radius of the wearer. It is equipped with
rechargeable batteries which can be charged by a USB cable connected to a
computer, or even by a mobile phone charger. The time needed for a total charge
is about five hours. The owner can then use the shoes for three or four days.
The
inventor said the idea for Duspavoni came after a conversation with a friend
who was losing her vision. He created the shoes to replace the traditional
white cane with something more discreet, which may create less of a social
stigma.
“She told me young blind people do not like the cane because they feel
it stigmatizes them,” Bustamente told EFE. “The shoes have been conceived for young blind
people, between 10 and 25 years old, as they are most refusing to use the white
cane.”
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