Eth Zurich

Unversität Zürich

Mesa Imaging Ag

Tyromotion Gmbh

Zürcher Hochschule Der Künste

Yeongmi Kim

Roger Gassert

Thierry Oggier

Vincent Hayward

Mathias Deschler

Karmen Franinovic

Cornelia Prott

Samuel Bauer

Jeremia Held

Markus Riesch

Kaspar Leuenberger

Stefan Beat Schneller

Dinis Meier

Andreas Luft

A device for detecting and evaluating movements of a user comprises a processing unit, a data memory, a sensor unit with at least one biometric sensor, and a fastening device for fastening the sensor unit on an arm of the user. The processing unit is configured to detect movement data from movement signals generated by the sensor unit and to store the movement data in the data memory. The device further comprises an evaluation module with which secondary movement data, which represent passive arm movements of the user, are filterable out of the movement data. The device enables the detection and evaluation of movements of an arm of the user in an efficient way.

Detection and evaluation of movements of a user

The invention describes an electronic travel aid (ETA) for blind and visually impaired persons implemented in a detachable handle of a white cane. The device enhances the functionality of the white cane giving the user more detailed information about the environment within a defined corridor of interest in front of the user with an extended range of a few meters up to 10 m. It provides a reliable warning if there is a risk of collision with obstacles including those at trunk or head height, which are not recognized by a conventional white cane. Additional sensors are integrated to delimit the defined corridor during the cane sweeping thereby reducing the amount of information that is transmitted to the user via the tactile interface. Alternatively, the device can be used independently from the cane as an object recognition and orientation aid.

White cane with integrated electronic travel aid using 3D TOF sensor

Growing community of inventors

Innsbruck, Austria

Yeongmi Kim