[gui-talk] that sonic cane

[Rafal Charlampowicz]

Now the Germans produce an interesting laser cane. The laser protects only 
your head and chest and the rest of body is protected in a traditional 
way.People like it, because they have better protection and they don't have 
signals which they have to learn to understand - just when there is 
something on your head or chest level, the handle vibrates.
For me the problem with ultrasonic aids is that when you set it to 2-meter 
range or bigger, you can't detect open dorr etc, because the signal is to 
broad. My infrared obstacle detector can be succesfully used even in 7 
meters range. I'm also glad these aids are developed. By the way, I'm very 
interested in Brainport. Have anyone tested and tasted it?

-- 
Greetings
Rafal
http://www.bariery.ug.edu.pl/english/orientacja.html


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hoffman, Allen" <Allen.Hoffman at dhs.gov>
To: <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 6:18 PM
Subject: [gui-talk] that sonic cane


>I found the laser cane very intriguing when I was a test member in the
> 70's.
>
> I found the sonic glasses even more interesting at that time.  I could,
> for example, pick out half-inch bracing piping above my head as I walked
> along a tunnel with the sonic glasses.  It doesn't sound like a big
> deal, and for purely navigational reasons it wasn't, but if was planning
> to use the information to find, for example, a particular spot in the
> tunnel, it would work.
>
> The laser cane at the time was only partially helpful in my view, but if
> you had to regularly walk through areas with drop offs, or obstructions
> which don't start at ground level, like tree branches, the cane was
> helpful.  Examples of where such information is helpful can include
> parks, train stations, more industrial settings, etc.  I can tell you as
> one who uses "heavy" rail regularly, such information in the loud
> setting of the train station might be invaluable.
>
> The color discriminator sounds interesting.
> I could see building in a GPS navigation system in to the top end of a
> cane, but since GPS is becoming so commodity now, it would have to be
> customized greatly.
>
>
> I'm happy to see more innovation in this area-as there seems to be
> opportunities for making use of more information than a stick can
> provide.  Then again, it's what you know at the top of the stick that
> determines the value of the information from the bottom.
>
>
>
>
> Allen Hoffman
> DHS : CRCL & OCIO;
> DHS Office Of Accessible Systems and Technology
> email: allen.hoffman at dhs.gov <mailto:allen.hoffman at dhs.gov>  or
> accessibility at dhs.gov
> v: 202-447-0303; c: 202-213-1835;
> Fax: 202-447-0582 tty: 202-401-0725
> DHS Accessibility Help Desk: 202-447-0440
>
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