Transcript ELETRONIC TRAVEL AIDs ETAs

ELETRONIC TRAVEL AIDs
ETAs
PAST AND PRESENT
TAER April 2004
Vance Lankford
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Purpose
• To review history of ETAs, types, uses,
good and bad points.
• You could get this info. Red book, web
sites, emails, But most MVS Bob Bryant
got the award-Bob used these words to
describe himself/ professional, energetic,
integrity, intelligence, list goes on and on
but this year I had to use these same words
just to talk him into giving information and
to borrow his ETAs.
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Who is this man?
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Statistics
• Bureau of Census 1994-95
• Estimates vary-
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approximately 10 million
blind and VI in US (AFB)
Legally Blind 1.3 million
Please don’t make me
define legally blind again
Special ed served 93,600
10,800 Deaf/Blind
Visually Impaired
260,000 LP
130,000 Totally Blind
• 55,200 legally blind
children
• 109,000 VI use long canes
• Just over 7,000 Americans
use dog guides (1500
graduate annually)
• ETA use not presented in
study
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General
• Travel aides have two components: senor and
display
• Senor: How it is mounted
• Display: How device presents spatial information
to the traveler. Hearing or touch
• ETA emit energy waves to detect the environment
within certain range or distance to present detected
information to the traveler in an intelligible and
useful manner
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General Continued
• Quoting Nora Griffin-Shirley and some other guys
ETAs “devices that transform information about
the environment that would normally be relayed
through vision into a form that can be conveyed
through another sensory modality. Ok until last
part. Can you explain?
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Opinions
• 1. Russell- simply display
Purpose: path clear/
unclear
• Or Go-no-go system
• 2. Kay- ETAs to
maximum amounts of
information,
• Good travelers capable
w/o ETA Bad traveler
can’t use them
• In Past ETA mostly
secondary aids
• Ultra Sonic Torch 1965
Professor Kay First
Commercial Device First
Device
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Sonic Torch
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Type I Devices
• Single output for object
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preview
• Go-no-go systems
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• Russell
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Pathsounder
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1966
One of first commercially
produced
Vibratory 6 feet/ auditory
beeping 32 inches
Chest level,neck,
wheelchairs
Paved the way for future
developments
No Longer Available
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Mo aat Mowat What?
• Name: Geoff Mowat 1972
• Ultrasonic cone
• Approximately size of a
human body Cone, not
mowat
• Range 13.2 feet
• 3.3 feet switch
• Dependable, paved way,
still used
• Vibrates related to
distance from object
Knee to overhead protection
• Cold, rain, heavy snow
may cause false readings
• Pulse Date repair if locate
parts X
• No Longer Available
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Polaron
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1980s
Nurion Industries
Handheld/chest mounted
Ultrasonic and sonar
4, 8, 16 feet
Vibrotactile or audible
3 hours use
Pilot Light, mini radar
Italy seemed similar
Mirror like surfaces at
close distances
• A redesigned Polaron
should again be
available by July 2004
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Sensory 6
• Ultrasonic
• Head mounted
spectacle
• Headphones provide
sound info.
• Range 6.56 feet to
11.48 feet, metrics
• Closer object higher
pitch
Objects in front both
ears, side objects hear
with the ear on that
side.
• 8 hours
• Cosmetic, reduced
regular feedback,
head position
important
• 1994 last production
• No Longer Available
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WalkMate
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Later 1993
Waist or handheld
Audio or vibration
U shaped beam rather
than cone shaped
• 6 feet tall by 2.31 wide
• Recommended
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outdoors
The beam may vary
six foot range
Beep speed increases
at 3 feet.
No Longer Available
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First Attempts at Mini-Guide not so
successful
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Miniguide
• Tactile version more
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popular, slightly larger
Audio also, original
Higher pitch of tone the
closer
Earphone socket provided
Many settings, ranges
Battery should last for
many months
Auto mode, but
remembers modes
• Have attached to cap or
glasses for upper use
• Number of accessories for
instructors Feb.17, 2004
received Feb.16 almost
1000 sold
• Reflection, secondary aid
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Hand Guide
• Compact
• Fits well in hand
• 2 modes detects
objects sense of
distance
• Audio mode
• Vibration mode
• 2 AA batteries
• Pocket/belt clip
• Wrist strap/Durable
• Infrared sensors detect
4 feet
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Type III Sonic Guide
• Provide Object preview
Interpretation of tonal
and in addition
characteristics making
environmental information
primitive object
• Dr Kay Name again
identification possible
• Sonic guide more like
lots of practice How
giving text rather than just
many used Sonic
head lines like type I
Guide?
devices
• Above head to knee 45
• Distance Information
Degree Cone
• Directional appreciation
• No Longer Available
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Sonic Guide
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Type IV Sonic Pathfinder
• Object Preview and
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artificial intelligence
Computer controlled
Wide beam sonic energy
Head mounted Sonic
energy translated into
musical notes
Sides one tone, in front
other tones or ear
Tone does affect hearing
• Less training, Computer
simplifies meaning of
sounds what we are about
• Secondary travel aide
• Displays only information
which of practical interest
not visual picture of world
• Tone changes each foot
nearer an object
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Sonic Pathfinder
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vOICe
• The Voice Software translates arbitrary video
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images from a regular PC Camera into Sounds: A
“Scene Reader”
Every visual shape gives a unique sound
Building, trees, even color identification
Like a talking camera
Scan left to right/ pitch means elevation rising or
falling visual pattern
Loudness means brightness
O/m help build better mental picture of
environment
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Canes
• Canes or other devices
that are Primary Aids
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Guide Cane
• Robotic Dog Guide
• Ultrasonic sensors
detect objects,
computer determines
suitable direction and
steers the Guide Cane
and user around it
• Guides with no
conscious effort
• Project ended in 1998
• No further work since
No Longer Available
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Guide Cane
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Guide Cane
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Misc.
Wheelchair Mobility Device
Columbia Talking Compass- A compass that
talks Included in information sheet
Braille CompassesRover Light senor- light reflected off of
sidewalk tell where edge, grass began
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What happened to Type II
• Multiple Outputs for object preview
• Still clear path
• Use of lasers/ go no go system
• Wheelchair Pathfinder
• Laser Cane
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Wheelchair Pathfinder
• Nurion Industries
• Works with Chair or
Scooter
• Head protection 8 to 4
feet beeping
• Tone 1 foot side
protection
• Avoid or locate objects,
straight line travel
• Back up safety
• Some models signal drop
offs low pitch
• 4 feet from drop
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Wheelchair Pathfinder Unit
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Wheel Chair Pathfinder
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Laser Cane N-2000
• It has a long history of
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development
Newest 3 beams At
one point used two
Head, straight, drops
Estimate distances
ahead and side
Two AA batteries
• Single hand operated
• Power off still used as a
regular cane
• Audible tones, can turn off
sound vibrating
stimulators under index
finger
• Government study-most
used ETA Laser cane web
site. Primary travel tool
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N-2000
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BAT ‘K’ Sonar Torch-Cane
• History Part
• 1950’s Dr. Leslie Kay
• Training British Navy
Sound waves submerged
objects
• First thoughts Underwater
swimming for blind
• Then for handheld Sonic
Torch
• Studied Bats, along with
Dr. Griffin
• Torch primary aid
• KASPA (Kay’s Advanced
Spatial Perception Aid)
• Sonic Guide mentioned
compatible with cane
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Cane vs. Torch
• 1966 Conference Training for Torch
• Unfortunately, initiative concoincided with
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emergence of long white cane from America
*Torch primary aid/Cane Cheaper
Always follow the money
1969 Torch ceased production/commercial
O/m could have been torch trainers,
Torch too large for cane mounting at time
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Trisensor
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1978 well used in Japan
Sonic guide was manufactured into 1990s
Demise was purely commercial matter
Cost, training, agency support
The miniaturized low-cost Sonar Torch now
becomes the K Sonar Cane Torch is handle
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Trisenor
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Sonar Cane
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Standard Long Cane
Clipped with Sonar torch
Mimic Bat’s sonar
Sonar echoes heard in
headphones, recognizes textures
KASPA lets brain discriminate
between different objects
All day battery, Narrow beam
Long arm grip with cane/ Blash
La Grow research oked grip
like that
Type III, like Sonic Guide
• 10 Times greater information
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than other devices.
20 feet range 2M/5M rang
Must learn new language of
sound
Claims cane tip and shaft just
safety backstop for torch
Turns on with head phone jack
insertion
83 page manual 18 detailed
lessons
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Bat “K” Cane Handle
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Drop-offs
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Torches
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Ultra Cane Previous Batcane
• Inspired by Bats
• Tactile no beeping
navigation at night
• Ultrasonic signal
bouncing
• Covers front/head
height of user
• Tactile feedback
allows users to
develop a mental map
of area without effort
Company feels this is a
big plus/ No sounds to
interfere with travel
Available July 2004
At Wal-Marts
everywhere X
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Ultra Cane
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Conclusion
• How often do we use ETAs with our students? Do
we have students that could Benefit from an ETA..
• No certification required at this time.
• Cost and addresses on hand out. Get address
handout here.
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Who is this?
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