Systems and methods relating to displaying images are disclosed. In one embodiment, sensor data is received via one or more sensors of a wearable head device comprising a display, the sensor data indicative of a surrounding environment of a user of the wearable head device. An image can be determined based on the sensor data, the image corresponding to the surrounding environment. A visibility of a first portion of the image corresponding to a first portion of the surrounding environment can be enhanced. Enhancing a visibility of a second portion of the image corresponding to a second portion of the surrounding environment can be forgone. The enhanced first portion of the image and a view of the second portion of the surrounding environment can be presented concurrently via the display of the wearable head device.

A handheld electro-mechanical walking aid operably configured to detect objects or obstacles in an ambient environment and guide the user away from the detected obstacles and comprising a handle member for grasping, an electronic motor assembly, a cantilevered guide arm member operably coupled to at least one electronic motor and having an arm weight and a concentrated weight of at least approximately 0.2 lbs, at least one of a distance sensor and a camera operably configured to detect objects spatially displaced from a second free end of the arm member, and an electronic controller operably configured to receive detection of the objects spatially displaced from the second free end and cause selective rotation of the arm member in a direction away from the detected objects to generate a deviation angle θ, thereby causing an impetus to the user holding the handle member through a torque generated by the arm weight.

A method of navigating a visually impaired user, a navigation system and a guiding robot used in the system. The method includes the steps of: receiving a plurality of location referencing signals from a plurality of signal sources; processing the location referencing signals to determine a current location of the user in a predetermined area; planning an optimal path for the user to travel from the current location to a destination location; providing guiding information associated with the optimal path to the user; obtaining a travel instruction from the user to travel along the optimal path; and moving a guiding robot according to the travel instruction provided by the user along the optimal path until the next travel instruction is required to further move the guiding robot.

A movement support device is provided, which early recognize a possibility of contact of a user with a moving body and perform an appropriate movement support operation according to the recognition. It is determined whether there is a possibility of contact of a vehicle with a white cane while maintaining a distance from the vehicle based on a relative position relationship with the vehicle, which is recognized by images from a camera, and a change thereof. When it is determined that there is a possibility of contact, the movement support operation is performed. Thus, the possibility of contact of the vehicle with the user can be early recognized, and when there is a possibility of contact, the movement support operation according to the actual situation can be immediately started, which results in an appropriate acquisition of a start timing of the movement support operation.

A movement assistance apparatus to be provided in a movement assistance device and configured to execute a movement assistance operation for assisting movement of a user includes a mode switching control unit configured to switch, based on a magnitude of a surrounding risk on the movement of the user, a power mode between a normal mode in which the movement assistance operation is executable and a power saving mode in which a power consumption is smaller than a power consumption in the normal mode. A condition for setting the power mode to the power saving mode includes a condition that the surrounding risk satisfies a predetermined low-risk condition.

A garment with prepositioned, definite sensory stimulating devices attached. These sensory stimulating devices include, but are not limited to, electrical stimulation, audio and physical stimulation such as localised force generation, compression, constriction, vibration, and surround sound. Predetermined and defined actuators allow the wearer to receive tissue, nerve and/or muscle stimulation and/or contraction so that the stimulation is precise as determined by its ability to conform to the scientific methodology of repeatability, reproducibility and reliability; this being due to consistency of actuator positioning in one or multiple locals on the human body. A personal surround sound can also be integrated to the garment to ensure the wearer is always in the optimal position relative the speakers. These actuators can be force generators within the garment for the wearer to feel impact or apparatus or electrodes included in the garment to locally constrict and increase pressure on the wearer.

A system and apparatus for a mobility cane for the visually impaired to help aid pedestrian identification and provide walking assistance are described. The disclosed embodiments describe, amongst other things, a mobility cane whose shaft length may be illuminated and/or may utilize sensor information to determine illumination patterns. The cane may be a stand-alone device, or may be used in conjunction with a smart mobile device (e.g. smart phone).

Method, systems, and apparatus to facilitate navigation in a known environment. Communication and tracking between a receiver device and one or more beacons are provided to identify a current position of the receiver device. A direction to a next waypoint of a current path is determined based on the identified current position and a haptic feedback system is signaled to provide continuous haptic feedback to orient a user in the identified direction.

A controller of a white stick system determines a walking direction of a person who acts without using eyesight based on sensor data acquired from built-in sensors, such as a camera, and generates a first notification to notify the determined walking direction. A wireless communication unit receives information regarding movement of a mobile object present around the person from a data communication module and a mobile terminal. The controller generates a second notification to notify a collision between the person who moves without using eyesight and the mobile object when the collision is predicted based on the information regarding movement of the mobile object.

The invention relates to a product controlled with waterproof piezo crystals developed to control, through piezo crystals, the signaling system triggered before, during and after the crossing by pedestrians at signaled traffic intersections, wherein the product is highly durable and long-lasting, and facilitates use of signaled intersections by visually or hearing impaired and other pedestrians, and activates the signaling system, without the need to press any button, by detecting the pedestrians who stepped and applied pressure thereupon, thereby eliminating the risk of disease transmission.