BAT 'K' Sonar Cane
posted April 7th 2005 4:27AM
So, we wondered why this echolocating cane for the
blind wasn't called the "bat cane" — turns out there's a company in New Zealand who knows what's up (so much so that
their actual company name is BAT). The difference is that whereas the
UltraCane transmits its echolocation data to a tactile
stimulation you feel with your hands, the BAT 'K' Sonar Cane makes the echolocation auditory. The 'K' Sonar unit
actually fits onto a standard cane, and radiates ultrasonic waves to isonify objects in the path of a blind walker. The
reflections or echoes from the objects return to the sonar unit and converted electronically into a unique sound-based
"image" of the landscape that gets transmitted to a set of headphones worn by the blind traveler. Again, not exactly a
cheap unit — about $640 USD plus another $80 for shipping from New Zealand. Peep the video, in which the same
technology behind the 'K' Sonar unit is used to help a blind boy hit a baseball via echolocation.
Video: Echolocation baseball [MPG]
wow, looks like a very awesome product, even a person in the dark can move with ease.
Great job scientists!
Little more research is needed i feel. Surely a blind person devoid of visual senses would not like to have their sense of hearing diminished too by using headphones. wouldnt tactile feedback be more appropriate?
so instead of just being blind they are now blind and deaf.
not such a great idea.
Well, the blind probably have more to say about this than we do, but it does seem to me that an echolocation device with auditory feedback probably would utilize the hightened sense of hearing that the blind likely already have, and already use on some level for echolocation.
I saw a show a few months ago about some folks who actually used echolocation just by clicking their tongue -- they were able to get a good sense of their environment, discerning trees and chairs and tables just by their auditory signature.
And of course in the movie "Ray" (which by the way, is not as good as some would have you believe) Ray Charles (the character) claims to echolocate with his hard-soled shoes. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but it's certainly plausible.
Oops. I hope I didn't just spoil the movie.
"so instead of just being blind they are now blind and deaf"
I doubt the blind will listen to the generated audio at the same level as a teenager listens to Iron Maiden songs on his audio player. Most blind are smart enough to use the right type of headphones and keep the volume at a level that doesn't preclude the ambient noise.
Um, if it's for blind people, why does it have a bunch of LED's on it?
At first I thought it waws maybe so people could spot a person crossing the street at night or something more easily, but this doesn't make any sense either since the way the thing is designed to be held sort of precludes the LED's being highly visible at all. In fact, they'd be completely occluded if the device was held in the left hand.
Bad Design Award!
Perhaps they are not LEDs but simply bright red buttons?
From the site:
"The torch body is fitted with three miniature push-button switches."