Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Sunu Band first impressions (self.Blind)
submitted by Laser_Lens_4
UPS just dropped mine off a few hours ago and I had some time to play with it. So here are my impressions from a few hours.
The watch feels very cheap. The face has no display, which makes sense, and instead has a soft touch plastic that gives a tiny bit when you press your finger on it. It doesn't feel very reassuring. It also creaks when you apply pressure which you will be doing to press the side buttons. There is a nub on one side of the face which is about 7mm tall. It's not very annoying but it is there. It's like our version of the phone notch. It's the sonar sensor, by the way.
The watch features a micro USB charging port on the underside with some hard plastic surrounding it. That's right, this watch released in late 2017 does not use USB type C and has no metal anywhere on the outside, save for the casing of the sonar sensor. Only plastic. Cheap plastic.
The watch band is a generic silicone band. It is black with a metal clasp. It's smooth on the outside and textured on the inside. This band also came with my ZTE watch that I bought several months ago for $90. Again, the Sunu Band cost $300.
As for the interface it is all gesture based. It has a vibration motor inside which is accompanied by an annoying high-pitched whine. It reminds me of the Philips Sonicare toothbrush (sometimes it will make a whine to convey messages). Back to the watch. It will tell you the time and you can press a button to enable the sonar. You can switch between indoor and outdoor modes with a swipe.
The app. There is an Android app. Sunu hasn't bothered to update their website, which says there is only an IOS app. The Android app is a bit confusing and for some reason I can't save any of the settings I change. Pairing the band is also rather strange. You have to hold it VERY close to the phone to connect it. The Bluetooth doesn't seem to be very good. The app is very plain and the functions of the watch seem rather basic.
Actually navigating with the watch is a rather stressful experience. I thought it was going to be fairly directional but it will pick up on walls to either side of me as well. This means that I can be walking downb a clear hallway and the band will still be buzzing at me like there's no tomorrow. This means it can't help me avoid things like small outcroppings and doorways.
Speaking of doorways I can't seem to be able to locate them with it. It just buzzes non-stop. The buzzes are also inconsistent. This really doesn't seem to be very well suited to confined spaces... which is most of the indoor spaces I'm in.
Outside it works a bit better but it doesn't find obstacles much sooner than my cane would. Right now I'm struggling to see how this would be more useful rather than stressful. It is quite stressful to feel your wrist constantly vibrating, by the way.
I need to try this out at work and at the store. Hopefully it can prove its worth there.
So far I am not at all impressed. The watch is very cheap feeling and its usefulness to me is questionable at best. We'll see how things go.
EDIT: I should add that there were no Braille instructions included. There was quick start guide with some Braille on the front. It's a useless Helen Keller quote.
Edit 2: I just posted an update after getting to use it out in the real world.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
The watch feels very cheap. The face has no display, which makes sense, and instead has a soft touch plastic that gives a tiny bit when you press your finger on it. It doesn't feel very reassuring. It also creaks when you apply pressure which you will be doing to press the side buttons. There is a nub on one side of the face which is about 7mm tall. It's not very annoying but it is there. It's like our version of the phone notch. It's the sonar sensor, by the way.
The watch features a micro USB charging port on the underside with some hard plastic surrounding it. That's right, this watch released in late 2017 does not use USB type C and has no metal anywhere on the outside, save for the casing of the sonar sensor. Only plastic. Cheap plastic.
The watch band is a generic silicone band. It is black with a metal clasp. It's smooth on the outside and textured on the inside. This band also came with my ZTE watch that I bought several months ago for $90. Again, the Sunu Band cost $300.
As for the interface it is all gesture based. It has a vibration motor inside which is accompanied by an annoying high-pitched whine. It reminds me of the Philips Sonicare toothbrush (sometimes it will make a whine to convey messages). Back to the watch. It will tell you the time and you can press a button to enable the sonar. You can switch between indoor and outdoor modes with a swipe.
The app. There is an Android app. Sunu hasn't bothered to update their website, which says there is only an IOS app. The Android app is a bit confusing and for some reason I can't save any of the settings I change. Pairing the band is also rather strange. You have to hold it VERY close to the phone to connect it. The Bluetooth doesn't seem to be very good. The app is very plain and the functions of the watch seem rather basic.
Actually navigating with the watch is a rather stressful experience. I thought it was going to be fairly directional but it will pick up on walls to either side of me as well. This means that I can be walking downb a clear hallway and the band will still be buzzing at me like there's no tomorrow. This means it can't help me avoid things like small outcroppings and doorways.
Speaking of doorways I can't seem to be able to locate them with it. It just buzzes non-stop. The buzzes are also inconsistent. This really doesn't seem to be very well suited to confined spaces... which is most of the indoor spaces I'm in.
Outside it works a bit better but it doesn't find obstacles much sooner than my cane would. Right now I'm struggling to see how this would be more useful rather than stressful. It is quite stressful to feel your wrist constantly vibrating, by the way.
I need to try this out at work and at the store. Hopefully it can prove its worth there.
So far I am not at all impressed. The watch is very cheap feeling and its usefulness to me is questionable at best. We'll see how things go.
EDIT: I should add that there were no Braille instructions included. There was quick start guide with some Braille on the front. It's a useless Helen Keller quote.
Edit 2: I just posted an update after getting to use it out in the real world.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
bleeblat 2 points 4y ago
I ordered a BuzzClip2. I can post a review of it when it gets here, if people want. Will find out pretty quick if I need to send it back.
Laser_Lens_4 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
That would be awesome. I'm working on a proper review of the sunu band Right now. Should hopefully have it up by the weekend.
I was considering the buzz clip but with a similar price point I would suspect a similar level of performance. It might be a little better since it's going to be higher up. Won't get interference from Kane sweeps.
I was considering the buzz clip but with a similar price point I would suspect a similar level of performance. It might be a little better since it's going to be higher up. Won't get interference from Kane sweeps.
bleeblat 1 points 4y ago
Yes, I got the buzzclip because one of the other comments said to look at it. It's mostly overhead things I'd worry about or things like light poles that are a pain to find with a cane. I'd really like it for hands-free navigation, but I guess that's a long way off. Either way, I can get a refund if it's junk, because the CNIB is generally good about that. I've got some areas in mind to really test it out, and I'll let you know how it goes.
RcaCatAna 1 points 4y ago
My daughter and I are not blind but make all sort of electronic things and were thinking of making a similar "gadget".
We're trying to find out if there is interest and "room" for another similar product that would work better indoors than outdoors.
We'd also be interested in what features would make it better.
Also, our initial idea is that faster and higher-resolution feedback would be obtained if user had an earphone and a low-volume tone would give distance "reading" therefore allowing scanning with an angular rotation of the wrist.
We can write more if we see interest.
Thanks,
CatAna
We're trying to find out if there is interest and "room" for another similar product that would work better indoors than outdoors.
We'd also be interested in what features would make it better.
Also, our initial idea is that faster and higher-resolution feedback would be obtained if user had an earphone and a low-volume tone would give distance "reading" therefore allowing scanning with an angular rotation of the wrist.
We can write more if we see interest.
Thanks,
CatAna
PungentMushrooms 1 points 4y ago
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Not a very positive review but I'm happy to know that these products exist in the first place. The technology seems to have potential.
I can only imagine how much a pulsating wristwatch would drive me insane
I can only imagine how much a pulsating wristwatch would drive me insane
Laser_Lens_4 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
I can be rather negative of stuff like this. I'm usually a sea of disappointment when it comes to adaptive tech so your results may vary.
I did post an update after getting to try it out. It does have some usefulness to it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
I did post an update after getting to try it out. It does have some usefulness to it.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
CinnamonDonkey 1 points 4y ago
Hope you update on your use with it. My son is just about to order one, I will have him read this.
bleeblat 2 points 4y ago
Are there other devices that are similar to this? I'd like a hands-free navigation thing, but I'm not sure if these work really that well. Thank you for the review though, as I didn't know these existed.
fastfinge 1 points 4y ago
Look into the buzzclip. Slightly cheaper, and works well for me. It will never replace a cane, but it's a nice addon.
Laser_Lens_4 [OP] 2 points 4y ago
I was considering the buzzclip but I bought the Sunu Band since, being on my wrist, I can aim it in different directions. It also appears to have a longer range. I'd love to try the buzzclip now but too much $$$
Laser_Lens_4 [OP] 1 points 4y ago
I just posted an update. I got to use it some today and these are my thoughts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/9j8n6y/a_day_with_sunu_band/?utm_source=reddit-android
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