ELETRONIC TRAVEL AIDs ETAs

1. ELETRONIC TRAVEL AIDsETAs PAST AND PRESENT TAER April 2004 Vance Lankford

2. Purpose • To review history of ETAs, types, uses, good and bad points. • You could get this info. Red book, web sites, emails, But most MVS Bob Bryant got the award-Bob used these words to describe himself/ professional, energetic, integrity, intelligence, list goes on and on but this year I had to use these same words just to talk him into giving information and to borrow his ETAs.

3. Who is this man?

4. Bureau of Census 1994-95 Estimates vary- approximately 10 million blind and VI in US (AFB) Legally Blind 1.3 million Please don’t make me define legally blind again Special ed served 93,600 10,800 Deaf/Blind Visually Impaired 260,000 LP 130,000 Totally Blind 55,200 legally blind children 109,000 VI use long canes Just over 7,000 Americans use dog guides (1500 graduate annually) ETA use not presented in study Statistics

5. General • Travel aides have two components: senor and display • Senor: How it is mounted • Display: How device presents spatial information to the traveler. Hearing or touch • ETA emit energy waves to detect the environment within certain range or distance to present detected information to the traveler in an intelligible and useful manner

6. General Continued • Quoting Nora Griffin-Shirley and some other guys ETAs “devices that transform information about the environment that would normally be relayed through vision into a form that can be conveyed through another sensory modality. Ok until last part. Can you explain?

7. 1. Russell- simply display Purpose: path clear/ unclear Or Go-no-go system 2. Kay- ETAs to maximum amounts of information, Good travelers capable w/o ETA Bad traveler can’t use them In Past ETA mostly secondary aids Ultra Sonic Torch 1965 Professor Kay First Commercial Device First Device Opinions

8. Sonic Torch ?

9. Single output for object preview Go-no-go systems Russell Pathsounder 1966 One of first commercially produced Vibratory 6 feet/ auditory beeping 32 inches Chest level,neck, wheelchairs Paved the way for future developments No Longer Available Type I Devices

10. Name: Geoff Mowat 1972 Ultrasonic cone Approximately size of a human body Cone, not mowat Range 13.2 feet 3.3 feet switch Dependable, paved way, still used Vibrates related to distance from object Knee to overhead protection Cold, rain, heavy snow may cause false readings Pulse Date repair if locate parts X No Longer Available Mo aat Mowat What?

11. 1980s Nurion Industries Handheld/chest mounted Ultrasonic and sonar 4, 8, 16 feet Vibrotactile or audible 3 hours use Pilot Light, mini radar Italy seemed similar Mirror like surfaces at close distances A redesigned Polaron should again be available by July 2004 Polaron

12. Ultrasonic Head mounted spectacle Headphones provide sound info. Range 6.56 feet to 11.48 feet, metrics Closer object higher pitch Objects in front both ears, side objects hear with the ear on that side. 8 hours Cosmetic, reduced regular feedback, head position important 1994 last production No Longer Available Sensory 6

13. Later 1993 Waist or handheld Audio or vibration U shaped beam rather than cone shaped 6 feet tall by 2.31 wide Recommended outdoors The beam may vary six foot range Beep speed increases at 3 feet. No Longer Available WalkMate

14. First Attempts at Mini-Guide not so successful

15. Tactile version more popular, slightly larger Audio also, original Higher pitch of tone the closer Earphone socket provided Many settings, ranges Battery should last for many months Auto mode, but remembers modes Have attached to cap or glasses for upper use Number of accessories for instructors Feb.17, 2004 received Feb.16 almost 1000 sold Reflection, secondary aid Miniguide

16. Compact Fits well in hand 2 modes detects objects sense of distance Audio mode Vibration mode 2 AA batteries Pocket/belt clip Wrist strap/Durable Infrared sensors detect 4 feet Hand Guide

17. Provide Object preview and in addition environmental information Dr Kay Name again Sonic guide more like giving text rather than just head lines like type I devices Distance Information Directional appreciation Interpretation of tonal characteristics making primitive object identification possible lots of practice How many used Sonic Guide? Above head to knee 45 Degree Cone No Longer Available Type III Sonic Guide

18. Sonic Guide

19. Object Preview and artificial intelligence Computer controlled Wide beam sonic energy Head mounted Sonic energy translated into musical notes Sides one tone, in front other tones or ear Tone does affect hearing Less training, Computer simplifies meaning of sounds what we are about Secondary travel aide Displays only information which of practical interest not visual picture of world Tone changes each foot nearer an object Type IV Sonic Pathfinder

20. Sonic Pathfinder

21. vOICe • The Voice Software translates arbitrary video images from a regular PC Camera into Sounds: A “Scene Reader” • Every visual shape gives a unique sound • Building, trees, even color identification • Like a talking camera • Scan left to right/ pitch means elevation rising or falling visual pattern • Loudness means brightness • O/m help build better mental picture of environment

22. Canes • Canes or other devices that are Primary Aids

23. Robotic Dog Guide Ultrasonic sensors detect objects, computer determines suitable direction and steers the Guide Cane and user around it Guides with no conscious effort Project ended in 1998 No further work since No Longer Available Guide Cane

24. Guide Cane

25. Guide Cane

26. Misc. Wheelchair Mobility Device Columbia Talking Compass- A compass that talks Included in information sheet Braille Compasses- Rover Light senor- light reflected off of sidewalk tell where edge, grass began

27. What happened to Type II • Multiple Outputs for object preview • Still clear path • Use of lasers/ go no go system • Wheelchair Pathfinder • Laser Cane

28. Nurion Industries Works with Chair or Scooter Head protection 8 to 4 feet beeping Tone 1 foot side protection Avoid or locate objects, straight line travel Back up safety Some models signal drop offs low pitch 4 feet from drop Wheelchair Pathfinder

29. Wheelchair Pathfinder Unit

30. Wheel Chair Pathfinder

31. It has a long history of development Newest 3 beams At one point used two Head, straight, drops Estimate distances ahead and side Two AA batteries Single hand operated Power off still used as a regular cane Audible tones, can turn off sound vibrating stimulators under index finger Government study-most used ETA Laser cane web site. Primary travel tool Laser Cane N-2000

32. N-2000

33. History Part 1950’s Dr. Leslie Kay Training British Navy Sound waves submerged objects First thoughts Underwater swimming for blind Then for handheld Sonic Torch Studied Bats, along with Dr. Griffin Torch primary aid KASPA (Kay’s Advanced Spatial Perception Aid) Sonic Guide mentioned compatible with cane BAT ‘K’ Sonar Torch-Cane

34. Cane vs. Torch • 1966 Conference Training for Torch • Unfortunately, initiative concoincided with emergence of long white cane from America *Torch primary aid/Cane Cheaper • Always follow the money • 1969 Torch ceased production/commercial • O/m could have been torch trainers, • Torch too large for cane mounting at time

35. Trisensor • 1978 well used in Japan • Sonic guide was manufactured into 1990s • Demise was purely commercial matter • Cost, training, agency support • The miniaturized low-cost Sonar Torch now becomes the K Sonar Cane Torch is handle

36. Trisenor

37. Standard Long Cane Clipped with Sonar torch Mimic Bat’s sonar Sonar echoes heard in headphones, recognizes textures KASPA lets brain discriminate between different objects All day battery, Narrow beam Long arm grip with cane/ Blash La Grow research oked grip like that Type III, like Sonic Guide 10 Times greater information than other devices. 20 feet range 2M/5M rang Must learn new language of sound Claims cane tip and shaft just safety backstop for torch Turns on with head phone jack insertion 83 page manual 18 detailed lessons Sonar Cane

38. Bat “K” Cane Handle

39. Drop-offs

40. Torches

41. Inspired by Bats navigation at night Ultrasonic signal bouncing Covers front/head height of user Tactile feedback allows users to develop a mental map of area without effort Tactile no beeping Company feels this is a big plus/ No sounds to interfere with travel Available July 2004 At Wal-Marts everywhere X Ultra Cane Previous Batcane

42. Ultra Cane

43. Conclusion • How often do we use ETAs with our students? Do we have students that could Benefit from an ETA.. • No certification required at this time. • Cost and addresses on hand out. Get address handout here.

44. Who is this?