Page 20 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition May-June 2023

VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS enhanced the walking sticks

ATTEND SPACE CAMP by incorporating a camera and
computer vision technology into
a red and white cane.
Eschenbach Optik of America, Inc., is a well-known manufacturer The inclusion of the
and distributor of high quality magnification and vision-enhancing technology enabled the walking
products that improve the safety, productivity, independence and stick to map and catalogue its
quality of life of its customers. In addition, the company also offers surroundings, while also guiding
eye care and vision rehab professionals an assortment of diagnostic the user with vibrations in the
options as well as training and consultative support – this helps the
end users who need magnification solutions to meet their needs handle and spoken directions.
successfully. The research team also
conducted trials to assess if the
In a special giving-back initiative, the company sponsored two
visually impaired students to attend a Space Camp for Interested assistive technology could help
Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS). The 5-day/night educational a user to select a seat in a room
adventure SCIVIS camp was held last year in September at the US with obstacles and other patrons,
Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The attending such as in a café.
students got an opportunity to learn astronaut training techniques “You don't want to sit just
using equipment adapted from NASA’s actual astronaut program, anywhere. You usually take a
during the week-long course. seat close to the walls to preserve
Amongst other things, they learnt about space hardware, your privacy, and you usually
experienced space flight simulations such as a 1/6 Gravity Chair, and don't like to sit face-to-face
th
conducted a spaceflight mission, while also getting to know all about with a stranger,” commented
aerospace career opportunities. CU Boulder doctoral student,
Shivendra Agrawal.
Eschenbach’s sponsored students were 8 grader Joey P. from
th
Cheyenne, Wyoming and 10 grader Samuel F. from Tiffin, Ohio. He said that during the trials,
th
Each attended the camp with a chaperone from their school and a sighted person wearing a
completed the space camp mission successfully. The sponsorship blindfold was asked to use the
included their tuition fee paid in full, in addition to a care package ‘smart’ walking stick, which was
consisting of a video magnifier they could use at the camp and later connected to a laptop contained
take home. in the participant’s backpack.
The laptop used algorithms to
It was a truly transformational, life changing experience for
the students, as it enabled them to move on from limitations to identify different features within
expectations, according to the parents of the sponsored kids. the room and calculate a route to
the ideal seat.
Thanks to the success of the camp, Eschenbach is pleased to
announce that it has decided to again sponsor two students in 2023, The study results showed
details of which will be shared soon. that 10 out of the 12 people
participating in the trials were
able to identify the correct seat.
SMART “WALKING STICKS” The researchers also aim to

put in more efforts to develop the
Engineers from University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) technology – including making
have developed a ‘smart’ walking stick with the help of artificial the system more compact so
intelligence technology. The stick is designed to enable those with it can run off a smartphone
sight loss to complete their day-to-day tasks.
attached to a cane. “Our aim is
While presenting their research at the International Conference to make this technology mature
on Intelligent Robots and Systems held in October last year but also attract other researchers
at Kyoto, Japan, the researchers at CU Boulder’s Collaborative into this field of assistive
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab, revealed that they had robotics,” stated Agrawal.

16 | THE INDIAN OPTICIAN | MAY-JUNE 2023 OPTOMETRY NEWS