New device to help blind people 'see'

US scientists have developed a portable navigation device for the blind. It is also quite useful for firefighters.

Bruce Walker and Frank Dellaert are testing SWAN . This device will beep beeps to the wearer, help them find directions, or direct firefighters to move in. The building is full of smoke in the event of a fire.

The device was developed by Bruce Walker and colleague Frank Dellaert of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. They gave it the name: System for Wearable Audio Navigation (SWAN).

To calculate and locate the wearer and the direction they are going, this device uses a processor that coordinates parameters read from the global positioning system (GPS) with data from the cameras and sensors mounted on caps or on headband. After the calculations are complete, the device will beep to guide the wearer.

Researchers said they would look for volunteers to test the new device by the end of the year.

VY