Over 253 million people worldwide are visually impaired. A majority of them who are blind or severely visually impaired rely on white canes to get around, as only about 5% use guide dogs. Some of the people who don’t have a service dog choose not to due to personal preference or lifestyle. However, for many, the choice to have a service dog was not available due to prohibiting reasons such as house size, allergies, or not being able to afford the expenses.
It was with such individuals in mind that Industrial Design and Technology student Anthony Camu (in his final year of school) designed a product that replicates a guide dog’s functions. What he made is essentially a handheld robotic dog-like guide.
When he began conceptualizing and developing the prototype, he was inspired by virtual reality gaming consoles and self-driving vehicles. The result was ‘Theia’ – a concealable and portable handheld device that guides users through sizeable indoor space and outdoor environments with minimal user input. Theia aims to convey the sense of easy walking in the same way autonomous vehicles afford the user with effortless driving. The device helps users make complicated maneuvers without needing to think.
How It Works
- To begin, a user tells Theia where they want to go.
- Then, the device programs the route to reach the destination and guides the user while avoiding accidents along the way.
- Theia is an internet of things (IoT) device, so it processes real-time data available online – things like the weather and traffic density (cars and pedestrians) – to get the user to their destination accurately, and safely.
Along the way, Theia will assist with everything from stairs and elevators to entrances and pedestrian crossings. When a user reaches a busy intersection, the device initiates a fail-safe procedure for high-risk scenarios. The mode involves Theia pushing the user back then entering ‘manual mode’ – which is like using a high-tech cane. The point is to encourage the user to maintain a level of control and awareness.
Theia will be able to “see” and capture a three-dimensional image of the users’ surroundings with a combination of cameras and Lidar (a remote sensing method that uses light).
What’s most interesting about Theia is how it communicates information to the visually impaired person – it physically ‘leads’ users. The device uses a novel form of force feedback that involves a control moment gyroscope (CMG) to move users’ hands in open space. This unique feature is what makes Theia so much like a service dog because the ‘leading’ sensation is comparable to holding a guide dog’s brace.
Theia pulls and pushes you along, portraying the feeling through vibration and directional forces. It uses momentum to manipulate the movement of one’s hand and communicate complex walking maneuvers in real-time. In so doing, the user will not have to take time to interpret Theia’s commands. Meaning, the device could potentially enable those with visual impairments to keep the pace of, or even surpass, an average pedestrian.
At the moment, Anthony’s invention is still in the design and prototype phase, but he hopes to establish a start-up company and launch a crowdsourcing campaign for his product as soon as possible. He said:
I know this is a grand vision, but I hope people can see the positive effects Theia could have on the blind community. The goal of many non-sighted people is to be independent and live a normal life but unfortunately, many who endure vision loss feel excluded from situations and activities which many people take for granted, such as socializing, shopping, or going to restaurants. Such limitations are usually formed due to the fear and anxiety associated with having a partial understanding of the surroundings.
Theia has the capacity to expand a blind person’s comfort zones and possibilities, broaden their horizons and allow them to think less about walking and more about what’s waiting for them at the end of the route. The ultimate goal is that Theia’s users can traverse routes safely and efficiently, at the same pace as, or even faster than, ordinary people, without the worry and hassle of visualizing the environment.
Theia is currently being showcased as part of the Design Degree Show’s digital showcase here.
