WeWALK - innovating mobility for the visually impaired
by Startacus Admin
Innovation in mobility for the visually impaired thanks to WeWALK, a revolutionary smart cane!
Almost 1 in every 25 people is visually impaired. That’s 250 million people worldwide. Of these, 50 million use a cane. We’ve all walked past someone at some point, making their way confidently with a white cane, and considered how difficult and frightening we would find it to have to rely on the feedback of a metal stick to help us get safely around town. But while cane users often seem as though they can traverse any path with only this object, there are things that a cane simply cannot help with. Protruding signs, low hanging branches, pretty much anything above the knee can pose a hazard.
WeWALK is aiming to improve this situation with their smart cane.
WeWALK is basically a high-tech handle into which you can insert your cane. It features an ultrasonic sensor for use inside and outdoors, which detects things that the cane alone might not, and warns you about them via vibration and sound alerts. Connect the smart cane to your phone and control it from the touchpad on the cane, or the near-field microphone. Easily use 3rd party apps like Google Maps, Alexa, Lyft, and Uber without the need for a device in both hands.
On top of this, WeWALK is an open platform that allows developers to directly access its core capabilities and build on what is already there.
WeWALK comes from Young Guru Academy, a non-profit business with multiple global awards including the Edison Awards, MWC Awards by GSMA, and the MIT Social Innovation of the Year.
YGA aims to deliver technology that provides solutions to the problems faced by disadvantaged groups - in this case, the visually impaired. The WeWALK Indiegogo campaign has (to date) raised 103% of its target funding, ensuring that the smart cane’s production will continue on to the next step.
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Published on: 22nd July 2018
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