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New Smart Glove from Penn State Helps Shop Blind People at Grocery Stores

by Vishnuprasad on Jun 2 2015 7:08 PM

New Smart Glove from Penn State Helps Shop Blind People at Grocery Stores
Figuring out what items are on the shelves is a major problem blind people report as wanting to be able to conquer.
Scientists at Pennsylvania State University are working on a smart glove that can help blind people shop at the grocery store.

Now, some products are available in the market that can scan bar codes and tell you what’s inside the package, but they depend on the bar code facing the camera or laser used to scan it.

The other disadvantage is that these products don’t help you find what you’re looking for, but simply identify what you’re holding on your hands.

The glove being developed at the University can actually guide the wearer to the exact item being searched for. The glove consists a camera and vibration motors within it in different locations.

The motors vibrate with different force, basically pointing the person toward the direction it wants the user to go. The camera identifies things that are near and can further guide the hand to the destination.

The scientists have conducted initial experiments with blind people using the device. Researchers are also planning on starting a new trial that will help refine the technology powering the glove and find out new possibilities where it can be applied.

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Source-Medindia


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