Continually refining the product
As of now, Rob and his colleagues – including an industrial designer formerly with Dyson – have developed over 35 iterations of their navigation tool in various sizes to suit different hands; with the aim of making the latest version more ergonomic and user friendly than the last. “Fast forward 10 years, and blind people will be walking around with advanced assistive technology with similar capabilites to a sighted human guide,” adds Rob.
The device uses computer vision, Lidar, GPS and artificial intelligence to provide turn by turn directions to blind and partially sighted people. It works by transferring visual information gained from a camera – which points at the path in front – into subtle movements felt by the hand-held device, designed to ‘nudge’ users one way or another to indicate which way to walk and to avoid obstacles ahead.
The technology is based on an area of science known as sensory substitution (taking one sense such as sight and turning into another, such as touch), and uses underlying technology known as ‘simultaneous localisation and mapping’.
Navigation is accurate to several centimetres, although blind users are encouraged to keep hold of their cane while using the device to provide reassurance. An accompanying app has been developed to allow a blind person’s carer – or those providing ‘tele-assistance’ support – to watch a journey online in real time, and give the user prompts as to the best path to take.
For the moment, routes have to be pre-walked by a sighted pedestrian holding the device using a system known as ‘place and trace’ – designed to mimic how guide dogs can follow predefined routes. But in future it is hoped that users will be able to use the device independently to guide them to any destination.
So far the technology seems to be working: late last year MakeSense required some more money, so invited a potential investor to its office, blindfolded him and asked him to walk half a mile to Bermondsey Underground station. After the mission was completed safely and successfully, a further round of investment was promised.
MakeSense Technology received two awards of £30,000 from the Transport Research and Innovation Grants programme – delivered by Connected Places Catapult on behalf of the Department for Transport – in 2022 and the following year to help develop the concept and a functioning prototype. “If we hadn’t secured those grants, I’m not sure the company would exist today to be honest,” says Rob.