Why do we need smart canes?
By Amanda Lacy
About the author, as seen in the Austin American-Statesman
This is a response to an article about a smart cane for the blind: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/smart-cane-uses-google-maps-and-sensors-to-identify-surroundings/#.XW- I’ve been aware of the Wewalk device for some time. Smart canes like this one pop up and disappear every few years or so. In my opinion, smart canes don’t serve the needs of blind people as effectively as other devices that are already on the market today. The problems I list with Wewalk can be generalized. All smart canes that I know about contain at least one of these flaws.
* I can’t find training materials, FAQ, reviews, or manuals on the Wewalk site.
(But I can easily locate promotional videos. 🙂 )
The Wewalk has been available (sort of) for over a year. It surprises me that these materials are so difficult to locate. Blind people especially rely on descriptions found in manuals and FAQs to make informed purchasing decisions.
* The Wewalk costs $500.
I enjoy buying expensive gadgets when they enhance my abilities. The Wewalk offers to take over several functions that I am already efficient at without a Wewalk. In other words, it’s a solution with no problem. Other blind people frequently reach the same conclusion.ƒ
* The developer of Wewalk misunderstands the nature and function of the cane.
He says, “White canes have never been innovated.” That’s simply not true. The contrast between the canes I used as a child and the canes available now is stark. I remember heavy canes made of metal that were too short, too heavy, didn’t fold up, bent or broke easily, etc. Today, blind people have more cane choices than ever because there has been so much innovation in cane materials and techniques. The cane I use today is long and feels like an extension of my body. I move it from side to side as I walk to gather tactile information about the path in front of me the way cats and other four-legged animals use whiskers. It’s light and flexible, but strong enough to (temporarily) support most of my weight. It works well.
* The Wewalk has too many bells and whistles.
The Wewalk tries to be three different things at once. It may only do one of these well.
1. It’s a cane, but not a very good one.
It’s heavy. I can’t find the specs, but the developer admits it’s significantly heavier than standard canes. The handle contains all the electronics. This will throw off the cane’s balance. The electronics, of course, will be sensitive to water and dirt, making it ill-suited for many of the places I visit. Heavy canes are dangerous for women and children who lack the strength to use them effectively. The arm holding the cane becomes fatigued and stops protecting both sides of the body. Accidents are likely to occur at this point. Heavy canes in tired arms get caught more often in holes and cracks. Fat handles (full of equipment) are bad for people like me who have small hands. Imagine using a device that makes you feel as though you have a heavy cast on your dominant arm. Imagine trying to walk fast, or for long distances, as you move that heavy arm from side to side in time with your steps. This would become tiring very quickly. On top of all this, the vibrating motors in the cane handle will make it harder to detect information about the ground, which is a cane’s entire purpose. As a graceful, confident blind traveler, a cane like this would just slow me down.
2. It’s a chest and head-level obstacle detector.
I don’t understand why this is needed. I use Flash Sonar, a technique that’s very easy to learn and requires no equipment. Blind people with normal hearing can learn to listen for those obstacles and duck. For example, at Barton Springs Pool there are overhanging tree branches on the way to the restrooms. As I approach, I hear tree-shaped echos and avoid hitting them without really thinking about it. Contrast that experience to the Wewalk, which would simply buzz to let me know that *something* is there. It can’t identify the object as a tree. It can’t provide information about texture, e.g. leaves or no leaves. It can’t tell if the object it detects is hard or soft. It would give confusing signals in complex environments where it detects many objects at once. I wouldn’t really know which way to duck. Blind people enjoy a rich auditory experience that includes shapes, distances, densities and textures. The Wewalk reduces all this to just a boolean value: true or false.
I can imagine that blind people with hearing problems, or who are tall, might find this useful. However, this product is marketed to “the visually impaired” and not specifically to tall or hearing impaired blind people. For anyone still searching for an obstacle detector, check out the Sunu Band. It’s very light.
3. It’s a GPS device.
It pairs to a Smartphone, gives turn-by-turn directions through a built-in speaker, and can be controlled via a touchscreen on the cane handle. The touchscreen means I don’t have to take out my phone while I’m walking. This might be helpful for people with use of only one hand. The rest seems redundant. A built-in speaker on my cane would announce where I’m going to the whole world. It would also be hard to hear in loud situations such as heavy traffic. Instead, I prefer to pair my iPhone to my Bose Frames. These are sunglasses containing speakers that direct the sound right at my ears without covering them. They allow me to listen to the world and hear my favorite GPS program at the same time. Several bone conduction earphones are also available that blind people can use to listen to smartphones without covering their ears. The Frames are about $200. Bone conduction earphones are typically less than $100. Most of these devices will provide limited control of the phone through built-in controls. The Apple Watch can also provide directions and some control over the phone through its touchscreen.
Conclusion: This device is an expensive, clunky cane which does things for blind people that blind people can already do for themselves. Modern canes already work well, and shouldn’t be modified carelessly. Blind people can use Flash Sonar, or just careful listening, to hear head-level obstacles. Blind people already use GPS safely with wearable sound systems that pair to smartphones. These solutions are all cheaper, lighter, and safer than a smart cane.
Links:
Learn Flash Sonar (it’s free): https://visioneers.org
Sunu Band: https://www.sunu.com/en/index.html
Bose Frames: https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/frames.html
Microsoft Soundscape (my favorite GPS app): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-soundscape/id1240320677