Quick comment as I'm about to grab an hour or so of sleep as I try to 
finish a project zzzzzz. ....

If you are reading this with a page reader, search for "CUT TO THE 
CHASE" below here.

AFAIR Professor Kay of ?Canterbury? University in NZ developed 
ultrasonic based navigation aids decades ago. He had both spectacle 
mounted devices and cane based AfAIR. I also think that Wormald 
Sensory Aids - subsequently Pulse Data, may have picked up the 
development.

Google says they may now also trade as "Humanware".
They have long ago specialised in aids for ther blind and you probably 
know of them.

No obvious mention of navigation aids on their site

        www.pulsedata.com

"Contact us" reveals a New Zealand base address (still) with links to 
other countries.

Site searching on "cane" turns up a GPS add in for their BrailleNote 
unit.

Their products page is equally unhelpful.

Googling

        professor kay ultrasonic blind

is more useful.

CUT TO THE CHASE
Professor Leslie Kay, ex Canterbury University in NZ
Professor Kay's KASPA ultrasonic technology.

        http://www.rsnz.org/members/fellows/personal/16837.php

KASPA = "Kay's Advanced Spatial Perception"
Allows eg blind children to hit a thrown baseball with a bat

        www.batforblind.co.nz

Huzzah!
"The BAT 'K' Sonar-Cane' [[ what does a voice reader make of this line 
? ]] :-)

"The 'K' Sonar clipped to a standard long cane radiates harmless 
ultrasonic waves in a narrow beam to isonify objects in the path of a 
blind traveler. The sonar beam of the receiver collects the 
reflections - or echoes - from the objects in the pathway. These 
ultrasonic echoes are converted electronically into unique sound 
signatures representing the Euclidean "shape and size" of the objects. 
The blind person can recognize these and their location, making travel 
on foot more safe and easy. "

And from

http://www.batforblind.co.nz/specification.htm

Which you should find a very interesting page.

    Listening to the echo sounds from the sensor is a unique 
experience often described by users as an 'intuitive' experience. This 
is mainly because the echo sounds vary in synchrony with motion of the 
sensor through natural body movement. They vary as the beam of 
radiated sound is caused to point at different objects. Conversely, 
when vision is lost and the beam of the sensor is moved around to 
learn of objects in the vicinity, the changing sounds indicate the 
presence of different objects at differing distances. This enables 
cognitive mapping of one's 'object space'. This alone is highly 
educational for young blind persons.

User experience"

    http://www.batforblind.co.nz/testimonies.htm

Includes:

    "Not only will you be able to locate objects, but you will also be 
able to determine after a little time of using the sonar, to detect 
textures of those objects. For example - a brick wall, a hedge, a 
metal light post, a door-way and even combinations of textures such as 
a wall with a hedge at one end. "

And

        "Not only do I use it to get around, but I also have had many 
fun-filled hours of experimenting with different environments. For 
example:
Walking in a field with several trees around and other things such as 
small boulders and vegetation. There was even a stream with a foot 
bridge over it.

Walking down a crowded hall-way with people going in every direction 
possible and at different speeds. Boy, that really produced some 
rather interesting Doppler affects.

Or working my way through a crowded lobby to get to the exit door. I 
use the 'K' Sonar to find the front door opening and boarding steps on 
the city bus.

Or what about things left on the walk or on the ground or floor like 
backpacks. Or people sitting on the floor like at a busy college.

I've also explored the front of buildings both at ground-level as well 
as examining around an entry way from side to side as well as 
overhead. Locating things like windows, signs above the door and such. 
"



Should be a good start :-)

History page alone is interesting

        http://www.batforblind.co.nz/history.htm



        Russell McMahon

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