Cane and able

The white cane has been an aid to the visually impaired for so long that it has entered the lexicon, becoming a sort of shorthand to denote the disability. The white cane's role in this regard began in 1921, when James Biggs, a photographer from Bristol who became blind after an accident and was uncomfortable with the amount of traffic around his home, painted his walking stick white to be more easily visible. In 1931 in France, Guilly d'Herbemont launched a national white stick movement for blind people, with 5,000 more white canes later sent to blind French veterans from World War I and blind civilians, while in the United States, the introduction of the white cane is attributed to George A. Bonham of the Lions Clubs International. In 1930, a Lions Club member watched as a man who was blind attempted to cross the street with a black cane that was barely visible to motorists against the dark pavement. The Lions decided to paint the cane white to make it more visible. However, while the white cane has done sterling service for the better part of a century, it is nonetheless a relatively primitive aid with severe limitations. For instance, it can only track obstacles in a very limited range and offers little help against moving objects. Equally, the cane can only guard against objects at the height at which it is wielded, providing no warning of overhanging objects such as tree branches. Of course, for many of the visually impaired, guide dogs can perform this service. However, guide dogs are not available to everyone, are expensive to train and cannot be used by those who suffer from certain allergies. Of course, one suggestion might simply be a longer stick. However, this is impractical, unwieldy and likely to cause a danger to other pedestrians. The Challenge What is needed, then, is a white cane that offers more than simple tactile feedback to the user, giving them information about what's ahead of them in the range beyond the stick itself. Equally, something is needed that can offer information about everything that is likely to cause an obstacle or endanger the user. The solution we have in mind is simple, elegant and effective, while at the same time being quite inexpensive. It offers a safer and more comfortable life for millions of visually impaired people. However, who can say your solution won't be better? -Solution- Solution to January 2013 Coffee Time Challenge The Solution to the January 2013 Coffee Time Challenge of how to improve upon the white cane as an aid for the visually impaired comes in the form of Télétact, an ingenious add-on to the traditional white cane that uses infrared detection and vibration feedback to identify hazards and obstacles, to help users move through the urban landscape. Created by French company IN3G, Télétact consists of a small box that can be attached easily to a standard white cane. The box emits a harmless infrared beam that is projected horizontally along the ground up to 70cm ahead of the user. The beam is also projected upwards at an angle of 45°. When the infrared beam strikes an object, the Télétact box inducts a vibration in the cane, which increases or decreases according to the proximity of the object. The prototypes of the various component parts of Télétact were initially completed internally by IN3G, using additive 3D printers. However, when it came to validating and testing the mechanical parts (for example, the opening of the battery cover), achieving a perfect fit and preparing the tools for injection moulding, IN3G turned to Proto Labs. After two rounds of creating prototypes Proto Labs produced ten moulds and delivered one hundred Télétact cases. The external casing and battery housing is made of black polycarbonate, designed to protect the infrared light system, the power supply, circuit boards and vibration device. So impressed was Proto Labs with product, in fact, that it was selected as a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award recipient – the first to win the award in Europe. Mr. Roger Leroux, technical manager of IN3G says: "When the team at Proto Labs France suggested we submit Télétact for the Cool Idea! Award, we didn't hesitate," he says. "We've worked with Proto Labs before, so we were very excited about this opportunity. Winning the Cool Idea! Award has allowed us to manufacture enough parts to equip one hundred people with Télétact for real-life tests." www.protolabs.co.uk/coolidea