Equipment to help the blind ride the bike

University of Bristol (UK) has developed a device called Ultracane, inspired by bats, to help visually impaired people easily ride their bikes.

Ultracane supports motion by emitting ultrasonic waves, exactly in the way that bats and dolphins locate by echoes. When there is obstruction on the road, Ultracane will emit tactile signals to alert users. As they move, the steering wheel vibrates when an object is approaching to the left or right.

Dan Smith, a visually impaired student suffering from optic neuritis a year ago, tried Ultracane. The results showed that the young man had driven the mountain bike on the trail in a very easy way. Ultracane's signal generator works well and is stable, so Dan Smith avoids all obstacles on the road.