طلاب مصريون يسرقون ابتكار "عصا ذكية للمكفوفين"

Quote: PRESS RELEASE FROM THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DELHI 29 th June 2011 “Smart Cane” gets Wellcome support to aid the visually challenged The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi today announces that it has received almost £450,000 from the Wellcome Trust RandD for Affordable Healthcare in India initiative, to further develop a navigational mobility aid for the visually challenged. A white cane is currently the most commonly used visual mobility aid. However, it can only detect limited types of obstacles and has a short distance range. Likewise, it cannot detect obstacles that are above knee height, for example a ####l barrier on the road, or those that protrude in the natural environment, such as a tree branch. The "Smart Cane" is an innovative device that can be mounted onto a traditional white cane. It uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles at up to three metres. The range of the detected obstacles is conveyed to the user using vibratory signals with differentiated characteristics. It is designed as a user-detachable unit and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, such as those commonly found in mobile phones and digital cameras. The funding from the Wellcome Trust will be used to optimise the design of the device based on user feedback from field trials, in order to develop an affordable product that is easy to manufacture and is ready for regulatory approval and certification. Extensive user trials are scheduled to take place at multiple locations over the next 18 months. The project is being jointly undertaken by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi together with its industrial partner Phoenix Medical Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai. Both parties will work with the Saksham Trust, New Delhi who bring specialised domain expertise as well as their links to the network of organizations working for the visually impaired. Professor Surendra Prasad, Director, IIT Delhi expressed his happiness at the signing of the funding agreement. He said “This joint effort is yet another illustration of IIT Delhi’s commitment to continue to undertake research and development with a large social impact while extending the frontiers of science and technology. We appreciate the support from Wellcome Trust in a project that can help the visually impaired achieve a greater control and comfort in their daily lives.” Bina Rawal, Head of Medical Affairs at the Wellcome Trust, commented: “We are pleased to support the development of this project, which has the potential to make a huge impact on quality of life for the visually impaired at an affordable cost both in India and elsewhere in the world.” Ends Contact Prof. M. Balakrishnan Department of Computer Science and Engineering IIT Delhi New Delhi 110016 [email protected]