Here's the thing, all these canes and stuff are coming out with electronic devices. They're very expensive, and the electronics in them make them fragile, which kind of defeats the purpose of having them in a cane. So, there's a barrier of entry in being able to afford the device in the first place, the viability of the device - i.e. what it adds to our lives that a traditional cane does not provide, then finally the fragility of the device. If you can solve problems like that, maybe you'd be on your way to something we'd actually use.

You'd do better off working on software that is not accessible, not hardware. make an accessible interface to a website or service that is not accessible.

If your taking wish lists I would like sonar so I know when there are low hanging branches or spider webs I’m about to walk into.

Hello /u/zombie! IMHO, The real development challenge is not "create something you can install in cities." The real challenge is--that since cities won't pay for anything to be installed--what exists already that could be leveraged augmented cheaply to help the blind and visually impaired. Could something that is currently used become smarter? Could something that is "dumb" be easily and cheaply turned into something that is smart?

For example, crosswalks. As I lose my vision, how will that work? While the technology for audible sound has been around forever, it was installed in VERY few locations. And what was installed is garbled and speakers for both directions are located on the same pole, so you can't tell which crosswalk is safe.

But what if every crosswalk light could have an identification (like a bus stop does) and be connected to your phone? Then the traffic software could be enhanced to send an alert depending on the crosswalk's signal condition?


The key here is speed, of course. But basically this is the possibility of the Internet of Things, right?


I would love to have this. :-)

I would love to have a truly low cost refreshable braille display. The device that once met this need is known as the Orbit Reader 20, which the American Printing House For The Blind originally charged around $450.00. They have since raised the price to $699.00. I am not going to get into the questions of ethics surrounding this company’s pricing choices.

I also think that there is a big need for affordable talking scientific and graphing calculators. These devices often cost over $500.00. This is frustrating because my sighted peers can usually obtain the same devices for $20.00-$100.

It really looks like you’re reaching too high with not enough time and no research. A lot of what you want to do already exists or doesn’t need to (why are people always after our canes?! They don’t need smart integration!). The only thing I can think of that could be useful is some sort of wearable print scanner/reader that could be used with a smart phone’s pre-existing screen reader or a refreshable braille display, but stuff like that exists and was a total market failure because it’s too complicated, doesn’t do what we actually needed, and is too expensive (most blind people are unemployed). Can you make a braille watch that doesn’t cost thousands of dollars? That would be useful.

Make a cane that uses the rotation of the cane’s tip ( look up marshmallow rolling tip) to charge a mobile phone battery as you walk.

Make a can with an encoder that tracks exactly how far it rolls, then transmit into a cellphone app to track time and distance traveled.

Make a cane with an insulating grip that charges a high Voltage capacitor. When the cane is grabbed, shocks the grabber.

Thank you for reaching out to the blind community for input; it’s certainly the best way to learn about the needs and wants of the community.

This may sound facetious but I really would love a warning when I’m about to step into a smear of dog poop on the sidewalk. If there was a small robust attachment to the bottom part of my cane with an odor sensor (maybe combined with optics) that could transmit the info to a device (such as a phone or something lower tech that pairs with the sensor) and warns of where the poop is, that would be amazing. Probably way too involved for your project though! :-)

I also strongly echo the suggestions related to navigation, especially the crosswalk situation! A lot of the technology exists but getting cities to implement it properly is a whole other story. Best of luck.

I have a niece who is blind from birth. She is so intelligent and has already graduated from college. Her grandparents and mom always rearranged their schedules to help her get to her classes and lessons (she plays piano). Her grandma has passed and her mom has been ill.
My niece wants to get her Masters and she is capable of booking an Uber and getting to the University but once she arrives she is on her own to find the class. She is persistent and will do it but I wish technology has a way of mapping her steps from her drop-off point to the class.

Everyday challenge? How about cooking? I’d love to have/find measuring devices!

Are we talking about in terms of futurology or actual practicality, ie. are you trying to come up something which is technically possible and sounds neat but which is not too practical in reality, or are you trying to make something which is actually feasible and useful?

I assume that we are talking about imaginitve stuff. In that case you might want to look demos about smart spaces, smart beacons, IoT and augmented reality. The demos are quite often a bit esoteric, but you might find some inspiration from there.

For example (piggybacking /u/Friscostrong suggestion because we had to design something similar in my *Usability 101* course) a smart campus where each door has an identifying smart beacon. When a pedestrian with a navigation app installed walks near to it, the app would tell them which rooms are nearby.

For example: *On the Left: Lecture hall A10*.

This also has the added benefit that it could be turned into a navigational aid for sighted visitors, who might not know where they are and where they are supposed to go.

Many people have tried to crack the nut of a low-cost, decent-quality braille display. The Orbit and Braille Me are two such attempts, and both have their problems. You could try for that, but I doubt you could do it in four months. Still, maybe. It's certainly electrical and mechanical. Oh, the Kanute is another attempt, but is meant to be a full page, not a single line.

It’s a huge campus. She will make it to class no matter what it takes but I hate that she has to show up 2 hours before class just to account for her blindness and roaming the campus. Even if the idea was able to map her direction that has to be walked several times before using it.

It’s a huge campus. She will make it to class no matter what it takes but I hate that she has to show up 2 hours before class just to account for her blindness and roaming the campus. Even if the idea was able to map her direction that has to be walked several times before using it.

Put on a blindfold for a week. Then talk to us.