Smart vests will help the blind to navigate in space

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a vest with soft robotic actuators,

which uses cameras and directsvisually impaired users. Computer vision finds, classifies and estimates the movement of objects around the user. The device informs about them using pressure on the user’s body, depending on the distance to the obstacles. This way they can know in advance that there is a road, a wall or an approaching person ahead.

Researchers describe the Foresight vest as"Discreet, accessible and intuitive." It uses soft inflatable textiles and vibrations will be soft so as not to frighten the user. At the same time, the materials for production are inexpensive, so they can be mass-produced. If some of the sensors fail, they can be replaced separately.

The new robot will be controlled by human gestures and brain activity

Scientists planned to make this device in the formbracelet, but the vest allows you to more effectively monitor your surroundings, and then issue tactile commands in real time via Bluetooth. The engineers plan that the product will be supported by all current smartphones, but these devices must be able to process AI data.

The Foresight team is currently working onimprovement of both software and environmental sensors. The release date and price of the device are still unknown. Scientists want to complete development by 2021.

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