Tacit hand device steers blind to safety (w/ video)
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 04:00
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- A hand device called the Tacit can help the blind and visually impaired move around safely in complex environments. Wrist-mounted, the device uses ultrasonic sensors mounted above the knuckles that can pick up the distance of objects from one inch to 10 feet away and then translate that distance to pressure on the wrist--the closer the object, the more pressure on the wrist. Pressure is applied on the right or left side of the wrist to help the user determine where the obstacle is located.