Blind Engineer Invents Smart Cane Integrated With Google Maps

The society has dramatically changed with the evolution of technology, lifting our burdens as it is now much easier to do the things that would take much of our time before the advent of technology.

Even for people living with disabilities, technology has come through in various ways to make life easier for them. Take for instance the braille that had been in existence long before we had iPhones and audiobooks, that enabled the visually impaired to read.

Now, immense opportunities are being provided by technology, as a result, improving our lives. Think of access to education, medicine, industry, to more simple things like doing laundry, and finding our way and destinations in big cities.

They say it is the shoe wearer who knows where it pinches. A young visually impaired engineer and founder of Young Guru Academy based in Turkey, Kursat Ceylan recently invented a smart cane that uses google maps to help blind people navigate more efficiently.

Being blind himself, and knowing firsthand the challenges blind and visually impaired people face, Ceylan got the idea and decided to put his knowledge into inventing something that would help people like him.

The smart cane, known as WeWalk, looks like the traditional cane but complete with a handle, and is mobile integrated connecting to apps via Bluetooth, it enables control with a touchpad or voice command, with no need to hold the phone in one’s hand.

“In this day, we are talking about flying cars and so many other inventions but these people have nothing but a plain stick. As a blind person, when I am at the Metro I do not know about anything that is around me, stores or a bus that is approaching. WeWalk provides this information,” said Ceylan.

The smart cane is installed with apps such as Uber and Lyft, making urban mobility a lot easier while google provides accurate navigation system.

The device which has dual sensors which vibrate to alert the user of upcoming danger at ground and chest level can be charged using USB after five hours of being used.

The smart cane is a result of joint efforts between Young Guru Academy and Vetsel, a European electronics company, is sold at around 500 dollars.

WeWalk smart cane target the 500 million visually impaired people around the world, the majority of whom are above 50 years of age according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WeWalk comes at a time when WHO has reported that there is a rising prevalence of blindness around the world and there is a need for growth of assistive technology to help the visually impaired.