A system is provided to minimize, or potentially eliminate, veering of a visually impaired user that is walking along a linear path. The system includes a wearable apparatus to be worn by a user. Further, the system includes a sensor, which measures ambulatory motion of the user along a linear path, that adheres to the wearable apparatus. The system also includes a processor that adheres to the wearable apparatus. The processor determines ambulatory motion deviation from the linear path according to the ambulatory motion being in excess of a predetermined angular threshold, and also determines according to one or more veering detection criteria if the ambulatory motion deviation is a veering motion or a purposeful turn. Finally, the system includes a left non-visual output device and a right non-visual output device that adheres to a right side of the wearable apparatus.

Disclosed is a blind guiding equipment comprising a directional speaker, a calling transmitter disposed in a crosswalk beginning area of a pedestrian crosswalk, an access status sensor configured to sense a current status of a traffic signal which belongs to the pedestrian crosswalk, and a controller in signal connection with the calling transmitter, the traffic signal state sensor and the directional speaker, wherein the controller is configured to activate the directional speaker, when calling data which is generated by the calling transmitter according to a trigger operation has been received and access status data has indicated that a pedestrian is allowed to cross the pedestrian crosswalk, to guide a visually impaired person to follow a directional guiding sound wave which propagates along the pedestrian crosswalk to cross along the pedestrian crosswalk.

User devices, methods, and computer-readable media are described for providing source-of-sound based navigation to a visually-impaired user. A sound detected at a user device of a visually-impaired user is categorized and an approximate location of a source of the sound is determined. A contextual analysis is performed based on the determined sound category such that the results of the contextual analysis indicate whether the visually-impaired user should be directed towards or away from the location of the sound source. An evacuation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed away from the detected sound and a tactile representation of the evacuation path is generated on a display of the visually-impaired user's device. A navigation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed towards the detected sound and a corresponding tactile representation thereof is generated.

A distance sensing mobility assistance apparatus to assist a visually impaired person includes a microcontroller, and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) component, an audio signal component, a haptic signal component, and a light-emitting signal component, all interfaced to the microcontroller. The microcontroller includes instructions for reading a distance signal from the LiDAR component, producing an audio phase width modulation (PWM) signal for the audio signal component, based on the distance signal, a frequency of the audio FM signal being inversely dependent on a distance estimate based on the distance signal. The microcontroller includes instructions for producing a haptic PWM signal for the haptic signal component, based on the distance signal, a duty cycle of the haptic PWM signal being inversely dependent on the distance estimate. The microcontroller includes instructions for producing a current based on the distance signal, for the light-emitting signal component.

An Environmental Navigation Aid is provided, and can be a rechargeable, portable, handheld device that can convert environmental information, such as distance to a target object, into tactile values for presentation to a user's palm or fingers by way of a tactile feedback wheel. The nature of the target object composition can be factored into the behavior of the feedback wheel. The Environmental Navigation Aid can be paired with a wireless charging dock that can also serve as a homing beacon when the handheld device is pointed at the changing dock. Stand-alone homing beacons for additional orientation referencing tasks can be added to an Environmental Navigation Aid as a system. The Environmental Navigation Aid is designed to assist the blind in perception of the world around them.

The disclosure features visual assistive devices that include a detection apparatus configured to receive information about an environment surrounding a user of the visual assistive device, a communication apparatus configured to transmit information to the user, and an electronic processor coupled to the detection apparatus and the communication apparatus, and configured to: receive information about an activity of the user; filter the information about the environment surrounding the user based on the activity of the user; assign a priority rank to each element of the filtered information based on the activity of the user; and transmit at least some of the elements of the filtered information, according to the assigned priority ranks, to the user using the communication apparatus.

User devices, methods, and computer-readable media are described for providing source-of-sound based navigation to a visually-impaired user. A sound detected at a user device of a visually-impaired user is categorized and an approximate location of a source of the sound is determined. A contextual analysis is performed based on the determined sound category such that the results of the contextual analysis indicate whether the visually-impaired user should be directed towards or away from the location of the sound source. An evacuation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed away from the detected sound and a tactile representation of the evacuation path is generated on a display of the visually-impaired user's device. A navigation path is determined in those scenarios in which the user should be directed towards the detected sound and a corresponding tactile representation thereof is generated.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a guide cane and a method for guiding used for a guide cane. The guide cane comprises a movement component and an object acquisition component. The object acquisition component is provided on the movement component, and the movement component is electrically coupled to the object acquisition component. The object acquisition component acquires a positional information of the target object in a target space, and determines a navigation route according to the target position indicated by the positional information and an initial position where the guide cane is currently located. The movement component guides, according to the navigation route, a user to arrive at the target position.

A working animal reaction handling method monitors reactions of a working animal in an environment to conditions of that environment. The method uses an imaging device to obtain images of the environment, the images providing at least a portion of environmental data about the environment. The method ascertains, based at least in part on the environmental data, a cause of a reaction, of the monitored reactions, of the working animal, electronically signals a handler of the working animal with an alert about the ascertained cause of the reaction of the working animal.

A cane that includes a handle and a pylon that includes a satellite leg control operably connected to the handle. The cane further includes a terminal feedback device that is operably connected to the pylon and slidable relative thereto for retracting the terminal feedback device to expose a cane tip. The terminal feedback device includes a plurality of satellite legs. The terminal feedback device also includes a plurality of wheels. Each wheel is operably connected to a satellite leg.