[nfbwatlk] Seeing shoes, what next?

[Lauren Merryfield]

Hi,
A friend sent me this.  What next?  
thanks
Lauren
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060806/hl_afp/healthblindnesstechnologyhongkon
g

'Seeing shoes' offer help to blind Sun Aug 6, 12:28 AM ET

HONG KONG (AFP) - Guide dogs may soon be out of a job thanks to a high-tech
pair of glasses and shoes invented by Hong Kong scientists that help blind
people navigate the trickiest of terrain, a report said.

The researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University say the glasses and
shoes, which have a built-in computer, can detect objects within close
proximity through echo location then send a vibrating warning signal to the
wearer.

"Ultrasonic waves are sent out and when they bounce back they are
interpreted by a receiver.

"Once an obstacle is detected the shoe will vibrate, perhaps increasing in
intensity as the obstacle gets closer," Research Institute of Innovative
Products and Technologies director Wallace Leung Woon-fong was quoted as
telling the Sunday Morning Post.

The shoes will use GPS (Global Positioning System) to tell the wearer where
he is and which direction he is going in.

"The shoe will be able to detect steps, holes in the road and obstacles
within a five cm (two-inch) vertical distance," Leung said.

The innovations are based on the award winning "electronic bat ears" sonic
glasses developed by the university's Professor He Jufang, which use similar
technology to relay to the wearer information such as size and distance of
an object.

But some blind people expressed reservations about the inventions.

"There are so many bumps in Hong Kong's road. If I wear the shoes I will end
up shaking and vibrating all day," the Post quoted Chow Wing-cheung as
saying.

--

"What you really desire is to matter, to make a difference,
to add your own special essence and flavor to life. What
will bring you fulfillment is to create, express and bring
to life, in your own way, the unique beauty of your spirit."  --Ralph Marston 
"Nature abhors a vacuum, but not as much as cats do." - Lee Entrekin
CATLINES has moved to a blog at:
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-------------- next part --------------
Hi,
A friend sent me this.  What next? 
thanks
Lauren
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060806/hl_afp/healthblindnesstechnologyhongkon http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060806/hl_afp/healthblindnesstechnologyhongkon
g
 
'Seeing shoes' offer help to blind Sun Aug 6, 12:28 AM ET
 
HONG KONG (AFP) - Guide dogs may soon be out of a job thanks to a high-tech
pair of glasses and shoes invented by Hong Kong scientists that help blind
people navigate the trickiest of terrain, a report said.
 
The researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University say the glasses and
shoes, which have a built-in computer, can detect objects within close
proximity through echo location then send a vibrating warning signal to the
wearer.
 
"Ultrasonic waves are sent out and when they bounce back they are
interpreted by a receiver.
 
"Once an obstacle is detected the shoe will vibrate, perhaps increasing in
intensity as the obstacle gets closer," Research Institute of Innovative
Products and Technologies director Wallace Leung Woon-fong was quoted as
telling the Sunday Morning Post.
 
The shoes will use GPS (Global Positioning System) to tell the wearer where
he is and which direction he is going in.
 
"The shoe will be able to detect steps, holes in the road and obstacles
within a five cm (two-inch) vertical distance," Leung said.
 
The innovations are based on the award winning "electronic bat ears" sonic
glasses developed by the university's Professor He Jufang, which use similar
technology to relay to the wearer information such as size and distance of
an object.
 
But some blind people expressed reservations about the inventions.
 
"There are so many bumps in Hong Kong's road. If I wear the shoes I will end
up shaking and vibrating all day," the Post quoted Chow Wing-cheung as
saying.
 
--
"What you really desire is to matter, to make a difference,
to add your own special essence and flavor to life. What
will bring you fulfillment is to create, express and bring
to life, in your own way, the unique beauty of your spirit."  --Ralph Marston
"Nature abhors a vacuum, but not as much as cats do." — Lee Entrekin
CATLINES has moved to a blog at:
http://bizcats.blogs.com/catlines/ http://bizcats.blogs.com/catlines/
sign up for CATLINES and more:
http://www.catliness.com http://www.catliness.com