Elsa Blanco, a student at the University of León, has developed a smart bracelet capable of replacing the traditional cane used by blind people through sensors capable of measuring the distance between the user and the obstacle.
The creator has explained that the object works “in such a way that the person receives indications through different pressure changes in the arm or different sounds in order to correct the trajectory”.
In addition, Blanco explains that “lidar technology emits low-power laser pulses to measure the time it takes for the laser to bounce off the target and in this way the bracelets recognize if there is an obstacle that could interrupt the trajectory of the person.”
The advantage of lidar technology, he has specified, “is that it has been used for a long time by other devices such as autonomous cars for parking, in forestry to classify vegetation or to develop topographic maps and the reasons why they are used in so many fields It’s because it’s a very versatile technology, very cheap and proven in many devices, which offers great security.”
The student from the University of León considers “that it can replace the traditional cane since, despite the fact that different projects have been launched in recent years to replace the conventional cane, they do not provide the autonomy of the two arms as if they were makes the bracelet. Or they don’t recognize the obstacles that are placed above the person so that, for example, they don’t collide with a tree branch”.
Blanco believes that “bringing technology closer to being able to eliminate the guide stick and at the same time offer them more freedom and security by recognizing obstacles in various planes such as the front, the top and the side could be the main reasons why I consider that would be well received.”
Before beginning her current studies in Biology at the University of León, Elsa Blanco studied optics and optometry for a year.
There he verified in a practical way the difficulties of adaptation to the guide stick that people who lose their vision present.
“From there I asked myself why technology had not yet reached these people and I decided to create this social inclusion project,” he explained.
Currently, the project is in a visibility process to find more support and make it a reality.
“I am fighting to go one step further and get funding to go to the next level and definitively implement the technology in the device, since I do not have programming knowledge and I would have to hire people who are experts in it,” he added.
He has acknowledged having received proposals from companies or associations to send them the business plan and the necessary documents on the characteristics of the bracelet.
“I am sure that it can be commercialized since lidar technology is very affordable and, therefore, the cheaper the raw material, the more resources you can dedicate to finish polishing adaptation details without taking too long to make it a reality. as soon as possible. In addition, I consider that there is a big gap in the current market for my proposal”, he concluded.
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