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Ford comes up with window for blind

by on07 May 2018


Feel that view

Ford boffins have come up with an idea to help the visually impaired see the view outside.

Ford revealed a prototype technology, called Feel the View, that allows the blind passengers to “feel” what they can’t see outside a car’s window.

A camera is attached to the car’s window and takes photographs of the view outside.Those images are then reproduced as a grayscale rendering in the window glass using special LED lights. When touched, the different shades of gray vibrate at up to 255 different frequencies. By feeling the image, a visually impaired person can mentally recreate the view outside.

The concept incorporates an image recognition system that says aloud what is outside the car through its built-in speakers. For instance, it’ll tell passengers when they’re passing a mountain, a forest or an open field.

Ford developed it in collaboration with Aedo, an Italian company specializing in technology to assist the visually impaired.

A Ford spokesman said the company has no plans to offer the device for sale and it would never mean that blind people will become drivers.

 

Last modified on 07 May 2018
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