GUIDi (smart belt for the blind)

2023: Product Announcement

At the end of November 2023, the Hong Kong company AI Guided announced the GUIDi belt based on artificial intelligence, which helps blind and visually impaired people navigate space. The novelty is designed to become a more functional alternative to the traditional white cane.

At the front of the smart belt is a sensor unit with sensors and two 8-megapixel cameras. When the user moves, they continuously scan the surrounding space. The obtained data is analyzed in real time by a microprocessor module, which is located in the back region of the belt. Companion software with AI algorithms detects and identifies objects of more than 50 types, such as trees, road signs, traffic lights, trash bins and more.

GUIDi

Vibration elements providing tactile feedback are arranged on each side of belt. The system notifies the user of nearby obstacles and prompts the optimal path of movement. GUIDi can be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth: in this case, the mobile application will allow you to set a specific place to get to. The program will lay the safest route, after which it will begin to issue navigation instructions in the form of vibrations.

A smart belt will help blind people move more freely: the distance for detecting objects reaches 5 meters, while for a cane this figure is less than one meter. In addition, the user's hands remain free. It is argued that the smart belt functions equally effectively in any environment and at different times of the day - both day and night. The battery supports GUIDi for 8-10 hours. Control is carried out using braille buttons.^[1]

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