Access and Technology briefly
New British Cane for Blind Based on Bats
Researchers at Britain's Leeds University have created a cane inspired by bats to assist in the mobility of blind and partially sighted people. Using echolocation or bouncing high-pitched sounds off nearby objects as bats do to navigate, the "Batcane" emits inaudible sonar waves that cause a nearby object to vibrate the cane's handle. As an object is approached, the vibration increases. Researchers believe that this technology will warn users of objects that are beyond the reach of the conventional cane. If the current trials are successful, the Batcane is expected to become available in late 2002. Details on the web at Yahoo News.
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