We have assistive devices to help in mobility.
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HOPE TECH PLUS Innovative Technology For Visually Impaired -
HOPE TECH PLUS Innovative Technology For Visually Impaired
We believe we can create healthy societies where there are no barriers for the visually impaired to live out fulfilling lives.
We work to facilitate the integration of visually impaired people in all aspects of the society by creating tools and programs for empowerment.
We do this by leveraging on modern technology to create tools to enhance interaction with the physical environment and to promote personal development.
Hope Tech Plus uses innovative approaches to problem solving to develop technology aided solutions to challenges facing the visually impaired with a focus on 3 key areas:
We have assistive devices to help in mobility.
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We have an education programme called the Venus Project..
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The employment focus is on lobbying for better laws for the visually impaired..
Learn More285 Million Visually impaired people in the world.
This is almost 5% of the human population and the number is on the rise.
Mobility aids are The white cane and Guide dogs.
Guide dogs are extremely expensive to maintain and are not accessible with less than 1% of visually impaired people owning guide dogs.
The main aid for mobility is the white cane but it comes with so many limitations as discussed on the right.
Above-the-knee obstacles: The White cane can’t detect any obstacles above knee-level such as tree branches.
Range of obstacle detection: The white cane only warns of obstacles in the immediate of the person thus at times not enough time to respond in evading the danger.
Discrimination: There is a lot of discrimination that has been tagged to the use of the white cane. A visually impaired user described it as walking with a flag and waving it telling everyone you are blind and helpless.
Smooth movement: Cane travel can be more cumbersome and not as fluid. A cane gets stuck in cracks and you get a poke in the stomach, could be painful. The cane gets damaged very often needing replacement every so often.
We believe we can create healthy societies where there are no barriers for the visually impaired to live out fulfilling lives.
To facilitate the integration of visually impaired people in all spheres of the society.
This is the first aid for visually impaired people that completely frees them from reliance on the white cane.
Computer vision, AI, Machine Learning, Sonar imaging, Big Data and so many other technologies applied in this device make it one of the most advanced gadgets on the planet.
The device sends an ultrasound beam and through echolocation, it is able to image the semi-spherical area to the direction it is pointed. It is able to differentiate between obstacles on the ground, in front of the user and head-level obstacles. The range for obstacle detection is from less half a meter in indoor settings all the way to 3 meters for outdoor use. This range is easily controlled using a knob on the device. Using beam steering method, it is able to detect even the smallest changes in terrain and alert the user.
The device communicates back to the user through haptic feedback (Vibrations). For different obstacles, there will be different easy-to-distinguish vibrations. Varying the patterns, location of the vibrations on the device and intensity as one approaches the obstacle; the user can tell what kind of object is in front of them, where it is and how many steps before they hit it.
Using the lane detection technology the device helps the user to stay on the pavement always preventing them from veering into the road. This also helps them not to hit street poles, fences or building pillars. The device has an in-built GPS system that tracks the location of the user and when used in conjunction with a smart phone app, it allows the user to know exactly where they are by just pressing a button on the device and receiving audio feedback via the phone. This feature also allows the user to quickly notify a pre-determined contact whenever they are in distress by just pressing a button.
Using street mapping and AI, the user can save favorite journeys, home to work and other routes. Based on other user’s data, the person can also receive suggestions for the best route to use. Users can identify attraction points like statues and receive information about these as they navigate the streets. With smart cities it is possible for visually impaired people to cross roads as they can be alerted when the light changes green using the same app.
