AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Body
GOALS
Reduced Inequality, Balance Human & Artificial Intelligence
KEYWORDS
blindness, sensor system, Inclusive design, Wearable tech, senses
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Sophie Horrocks
WEBSITE
https://www.sophiehorrocks.com/sensaura
Sensaura
Inclusive design solution to navigating the world beyond vision
How can we navigate the world without sight?
In the U.K. today, nearly 2 million people are living with sight loss. This figure is set to double by 2050. Sensaura is an inclusive design solution to how blind and partially sighted people can navigate the world beyond vision. The wearable design proposes an integrated solution to enable detection, processing and feedback of environmental information needed for navigation. This allows independent, hands-free travel of indoor and outdoor spaces for blind and partially sighted people.
It combines sensors translate visual information into a multi-sensory augmented reality experience of spatial audio and tactile feedback. Test subjects have said this experience gave them a feeling of having an “extra sense”. The wearable could work independently or connect to a wider network of beacons in the environment when GPS is unavailable. It has the potential to transform hands-free navigation for millions of people worldwide beyond this user group.