Here’s What You Need To Know If You See
InnoMake: Smart Shoes Helping the Visually Impaired
A team from Tec-Innovation and Graz University of Technology in Austria has created InnoMake,
a smart shoe that helps visually impaired people detect and avoid obstacles. Selling for over $3,000,
it uses ultrasonic sensors on the toe to spot objects up to 13 feet (4 meters) away.
When something is detected, the shoe sends vibrations or audible alerts, much like car parking sensors.
Co-founder Markus Raffer, who is visually impaired, said the shoes have become “a significant aid in my daily life.”
Users can buy either the full shoe or a retrofit sensor for their own footwear.
The system can even recognize different types of obstacles and adjust alerts.
Researchers plan to add camera-based recognition and machine learning to build a virtual “street view” map.
Expert Friedrich Fraundorfer said this innovation will help identify safe paths and improve independence for blind users.
