New Tech Device Helps the Blind Navigate

"White Canes provide low-tech assistance to the visually impaired, but some blind people object to their use because they are cumbersome, fail to detect elevated obstacles, or require long training periods to master." That's the start of Medical News Today post. "Electronic travel aids (ETAs) have the potential to improve navigation for the blind, but early versions had disadvantages that limited widespread adoption. A new ETA, the 'EyeCane,' developed by a team of researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, expands the world of its users, allowing them to better estimate distance, navigate their environment, and avoid obstacles, according to a new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience." Read more.

Seeing with Sound

"Common wisdom has it that if the visual cortex in the brain is deprived of visual information in early infanthood, it may never develop properly its functional specialization, making sight restoration later in life almost impossible," starts the Science Daily post. "Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in France have now shown that blind people -- using specialized photographic and sound equipment -- can actually 'see' and describe objects and even identify letters and words." Read more. There's additional information on the same study at this Science Daily post.

Listening Device (SSD) Helps Blind to "See"

It's like a scene from Star Trek--The Now Generation. "A method developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for training blind persons to 'see' through the use of a sensory substitution device (SSD) has enabled those using the system to actually 'read' an eye chart with letter sizes smaller than those used in determining the international standard for blindness," according to Science Digest. Read more.