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Will 'Smart Cane' Render Seeing-Eye Dogs Obsolete?
According to Newsvine, the Smart Cane uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology (the same technology employed in those security tags on department stores' clothes) to "read" electronic tags placed on buildings. The cane, which contains an ultrasonic sensor, works in conjunction with a miniature navigational system carried inside a specially designed messenger bag. You can find images of the system here. A speaker located within the strap of the bag alerts the carrier of upcoming obstacles. (The students have also created a glove that vibrates in order to alert the hearing impaired.)
"This project started as a way for me to teach students to see and understand the ways that engineering can be used for the greater good," professor Kulmar Yelamarthi told the AP. Students tested the Smart Cane around campus by wearing special glasses that obstructed their vision. The next steps for the Smart Cane are experimenting over larger areas, refining the system, and possibly integrating GPS. [From: AP/Newsvine]
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Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsinspiringangelaAug 8th 2009 9:27AM
Spy technology (RFID) comes to main street! Sounds intriguing, but can the cane fetch the newspaper or alert the blind pedestrian when a car isn't slowing down to yield to the red light? And unless the censors are on every single building, crosswalk and park, they cannot competely replace the dogs, can they?
blablablaAug 8th 2009 10:21AM
Why not just replace people ...with robots ? Seriously, there's room for both...the dogs are more than just "eyes"....they are invaluable companions. That should be obvious to anyone with half a brain.....or less.
emarin44Aug 9th 2009 11:39AM
The smart cane will never a faithful dog but could maybe used to purchase goods in in stores that uses RFID to label their products.
hindlistAug 8th 2009 12:33PM
I agree with the earlier comment.
Steve GambleAug 8th 2009 1:29PM
Dogs are more than radar and gps systems. They alert for many other dangers and serve as constant companions for those in need of them. Besides, they don't need batteries.
XerloqAug 8th 2009 2:12PM
Naw, the dog's won't have to be out of work. They can be trained to carry battery packs around for the NaviCanes (just made that up) that run out of juice so the visually impaired can get where they're going.
This could be good for the blind person who's allergic to dogs, though.
CearralynAug 8th 2009 7:22PM
Well, the cane will not be able to pick up things that are dropped, the cane will not be able to protect its owner in case of an intruder. The cane can't give companionship. A cane is also easy to misplace or lose, and it certainly won't be able to tell you if a tree branch is going to smack you in the face or pull you out of the way of an errant kid or car. Bad idea!
jceasars911Aug 8th 2009 11:05PM
Just program the cane to take an "electronic" dump and the dogs wont be missed!
dumbname45678Aug 9th 2009 9:26AM
i totaly agree. maybee the inventer should be blind for a while and see how they like it for awhile. i would rather trust a dog anytime even though i;m afraid of them