This Headband Could Give Visually Impaired People Greater Freedom

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Developers from technology company Chaotic Moon have created a conceptual new device that would be able to improve the lives of people who have a hard time seeing. The device is called Sentiri, and it is a headband that would allow people to sense their immediate surroundings. Using this device, people with poor eyesight would have a better solution to their vision woes than a traditional cane.

Sentiri works by detecting objects in the immediate environment by using powerful infrared sensors. The device then varies the strength of vibrations that are sent to the user’s head. A stronger vibration means that the user is nearby an obstacle that should be avoided. By using this tool, people with weak eyesight will be able to have a basic understanding of what is in their direct proximity.

These vibrations represent a form of non-verbal communication that is known as haptic language. Users will be able to receive extremely detailed information based on the frequency, intensity and number of vibrations. Sentiri is also able to connect to smartphones and utilize useful apps such as Google Maps. By doing this, Sentiri will be able to safely guide users from one point to another.  

Chaotic Moon believes that Sentiri will be able to be used by a large number of people and not just for the blind. According to CEO of Chaotic Moon Ben Lamm, Sentiri will have great potential for wide usage.

One alternative use could be that it would be utilized by soldiers in order to keep their radios silent. They would receive vibrations instead of classic radio messages. This would also allow them to remain undetected and better focused on the situation at hand. Additionally, soldiers could replace the infrared sensors of Sentiri with thermal sensors in order to obtain the ability to better detect objects at night and in dark environments.

Chaotic Moon does not yet have a release date for Sentiri, but the company has been working on the device for many years.  The device was originally known as Project Halo.

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