Nearly a million people navigate life with visual impairments in Vietnam, their world shaped by shadows and sounds rather than sights. Of the 900,000 affected individuals—1.2% of the nation’s population—two-thirds experience total blindness. The challenge is further compounded by poverty, with one in three unable to access sight-restoring treatments due to financial constraints. In rural areas, where information about assistive technologies is scarce, the need for innovative solutions is particularly acute.
Enter our groundbreaking smart glasses, inspired by nature’s own master of navigation—the bat. These glasses harness the power of echolocation, blending cutting-edge hardware with sophisticated software to create a “visual” world through sound.
How do they work? It’s brilliantly simple:
- Power Up: With a simple switch, users activate the glasses’ built-in battery, bringing this assistive marvel to life.
- Customized Sensing: A user-friendly dial allows for personalized distance settings, adapting the ultrasonic sensors to individual needs and environments.
- Invisible Radar: The glasses emit ultrasonic waves that bounce off nearby objects. These returning waves are captured by a receiver, instantly calculating distances to potential obstacles.
- Vigilant Guardian: When an obstacle is detected, a discreet buzzer alerts the user, providing an auditory “map” of their surroundings.
While revolutionary, our current prototype still has room for growth. We’re working on enhancing the power source for extended use, introducing voice and vibration alerts for more nuanced feedback, and refining the aesthetic design to blend functionality with style.
As we look to the future, we envision these smart glasses not just as a tool, but as a beacon of independence for Vietnam’s visually impaired community. By making the invisible visible through sound, we’re not just creating a product—we’re crafting a new way of seeing the world.
