Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Blind Athletics Innovation Idea (self.Blind)
submitted by pdstrickland
I am a student in college, and we are working on creating innovations for adaptive athletics, and my group is wanting to work specifically with blind athletes.
My group wants to use the technology that cars currently use to detect objects around it to create an athletic belt for runners (similar to heart monitor in look) that would vibrate if someone or an object was within, say three feet, to alert the runner that there is someone next to them or in front of them in the hopes of allowing the elimination of guide runners so that blind athletes can run freely. It would have a sensor on the left and ride sides as well as one in the front and whichever side the person or obstacle is on it would vibrate on that side. We are also talking about having a camera in the front that maps out the terrain ahead and can alert of bigger obstacles and everything else that is included within that, but we are still hammering out the details of that part specifically.
Attached is a survey asking a few questions about the product:
https://goo.gl/forms/3XGJ4mShRsCHUsiZ2
Thank You All!
My group wants to use the technology that cars currently use to detect objects around it to create an athletic belt for runners (similar to heart monitor in look) that would vibrate if someone or an object was within, say three feet, to alert the runner that there is someone next to them or in front of them in the hopes of allowing the elimination of guide runners so that blind athletes can run freely. It would have a sensor on the left and ride sides as well as one in the front and whichever side the person or obstacle is on it would vibrate on that side. We are also talking about having a camera in the front that maps out the terrain ahead and can alert of bigger obstacles and everything else that is included within that, but we are still hammering out the details of that part specifically.
Attached is a survey asking a few questions about the product:
https://goo.gl/forms/3XGJ4mShRsCHUsiZ2
Thank You All!
bradley22 3 points 5y ago
Hello.
I have answered the survey.
I do not think this would be a good idea. I believe the reason blind runners run with guides is because as far as I know, most completely blind people cannot run or walk straight without an aid like a cane.
I have answered the survey.
I do not think this would be a good idea. I believe the reason blind runners run with guides is because as far as I know, most completely blind people cannot run or walk straight without an aid like a cane.
RunnerUp92 2 points 5y ago
Visually impaired runner here!
Perhaps a Siri-esque feedback? Rather than vibrations, try visual commands.
PM me, I've got a B.S. in Exercise Science, too.
Perhaps a Siri-esque feedback? Rather than vibrations, try visual commands.
PM me, I've got a B.S. in Exercise Science, too.
KillerLag 1 points 5y ago
To be able to replace a white cane, a device would need to also check for drop-offs and grade changes on the floor. Does your system have a method of doing that? I've seen a few similiar devices before, and that has usually been the major issue.
The next major issue is using vibrations to tell someone precisely enough that there is an obstacle in the way with enough reaction time to stop/avoid it. I'll give you an example... the average walking speed of most people is 1.4 meters per second, although pedestrian lights are generally set to 1 meter per second. Ignoring the drop-off issue I mentioned earlier and assuming your device scans a distance of 3 meters out (which is almost three times the scanning distance you suggested), that would give you a reaction time of just over a second. You might think it would give you two seconds, but that doesn't take into account that objects outside may also be moving in relation to the user. In this case, it could be another person walking towards the user (and imagine an even more complicated situation where someone is pushing a stroller, where it may be too low to be picked up reliably). And those numbers are for someone walking, as opposed to jogging/running.
Having a forward facing camera to identifty objects can be useful, but it would have to be pretty iron-clad for it to be safe.
The next major issue is using vibrations to tell someone precisely enough that there is an obstacle in the way with enough reaction time to stop/avoid it. I'll give you an example... the average walking speed of most people is 1.4 meters per second, although pedestrian lights are generally set to 1 meter per second. Ignoring the drop-off issue I mentioned earlier and assuming your device scans a distance of 3 meters out (which is almost three times the scanning distance you suggested), that would give you a reaction time of just over a second. You might think it would give you two seconds, but that doesn't take into account that objects outside may also be moving in relation to the user. In this case, it could be another person walking towards the user (and imagine an even more complicated situation where someone is pushing a stroller, where it may be too low to be picked up reliably). And those numbers are for someone walking, as opposed to jogging/running.
Having a forward facing camera to identifty objects can be useful, but it would have to be pretty iron-clad for it to be safe.
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