Sentiri sits on your head and guides you through the environment. Chaotic Moon's Sentiri uses haptic feedback to help guide the visually impaired. (via Chaotic Moon)
For years the visually impaired have been relying on service dogs and cans to help them navigate in their daily life. But with all the technology making our phones and refrigerators smarter, isn't it about time for an upgrade? The company Chaotic Moon is working on something that promises to help the visually impaired. Their invention is named Sentiri, a 360 degree proximity-sensing headband that helps guide users around by motor-driven haptic feedback. How does it detect obstacles?
It does this by using infrared depth sensors and then varies the levels of vibrations to the user's head to them move around the obstacles. The stronger the vibration, the closer the user is to an object. The device can also be connected to an app like Google Maps and can then safely guide users from “point A to point B.” What's even better, Sentiri is completely hands free.
While this is a huge step forward in technology for the visually impaired the company thinks the tool can be used for more than that. They believe Sentri can be used by troops to keep radio silence, similar to a belt-worn device tested by the Army to help keep soldier's eyes on the battlefield. This means it would help them go undetected in war zones. And if they use thermal sensors instead of the headband's infrared sensors, they'll be able to navigate in the dark.
Right now Chaotic Moon doesn't have a release date or a price for Sentiri, originally called Project Halo, but it's been in development for a number of years.
Chaotic Moon studios is a mobile software design company established in 2010 by Ben Lamm, William Hurley, and Mike Erwin. In 2012, they started their research and development division called Chaotic Moon Labs. Earlier this year, the company announced Freewheel, a fitness tracker for wheelchairs that uses effect sensors, a barometer, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer. When they're not working on life changing devices, they're working on video games. In 2012 they worked with Majesco Entertainment to create Hell Kitty Picnic with Sanrio Friends, the first Hello Kitty game on Nintendo 3DS. Talk about a company that wants to do it all.
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