This product definitely won't work for me, unless an extra set of working hands 
is included. When I go shopping or am out most of the day, all of my purchases 
go into a large hiking backpack or the items that I may need for a day away 
from home gets put into a backpack. I don't see any of the recent items being 
tested for the visually impaired to one day replace the cane work for a totally 
blind person. Those with low vision would most definitely benefit from the 
products.

Donna

> 
> I think this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.  What if 
> something goes wrong with the software in the robot?  What then?  Nothing 
> will replace either the white cane or a guide dog.  I use a cane myself and 
> always will!
> 
> Esther
> 
> Sent From Esther's Amazing and Awesome iPhone 7+!
> 
>>> On May 23, 2021, at 9:13 PM, goshawk on horseback 
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>> 
>> that's more or less what I said as well.
>>  
>> Simon
>>  
>>  
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Priscilla Garces (prisci)
>> To: [email protected]
>> Sent: Monday, May 24, 2021 1:41 AM
>> Subject: Re: Could a smart backpack replace guide dogs? Researchers think 
>> so. - The Washington Post
>> 
>> I thought it would be a good read since we’re talking about technology being 
>> helpful to supplement the tools we already have.
>> If they had a robot dog as a guide, I’d sign up so long as the AI is 
>> suitable enough to help me have an easier time navigating open spaces and 
>> other settings.
>> 
>> 
>>> On May 23, 2021, at 6:45 PM, goshawk on horseback 
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I disagree. 
>>> there have already over this last couple of weeks alone, been conversations 
>>> on at least 4 other e-mail lists that I am on, about possible robot guide 
>>> dogs for example. 
>>>  
>>> Simon 
>>>  
>>>  
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: CrazyEyez
>>>> To: [email protected]
>>>> Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2021 10:50 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: Could a smart backpack replace guide dogs? Researchers think 
>>>> so. - The Washington Post
>>>> 
>>>> honestly this is stupid.
>>>> Another money grab.
>>>> You'll never ever replace the cane.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> 
>>>>> On May 23, 2021, at 4:54 PM, Priscilla Garces (prisci) 
>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>> Thought this might be interesting to read.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/25/innovations-ai-backpack-blind/
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Researchers design an AI-powered backpack for the visually impaired
>>>>>> Artificial intelligence researchers hope the bag will one day replace 
>>>>>> canes and guide dogs
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Dalvin Brown  March 25, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Researchers at the University of Georgia created an AI-powered backpack 
>>>>>> to help visually impaired people navigate the outside world. (Intel) 
>>>>>> Among the latest iterations of next-generation assistive accessories is 
>>>>>> a backpack powered by Intel’s artificial intelligence software. It’s 
>>>>>> designed to audibly alert wearers when they’re approaching possibly 
>>>>>> hazardous situations like crosswalks or strangers.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The backpack, which has yet to be named, was revealed Wednesday but 
>>>>>> could face years of development before a consumer-ready version is 
>>>>>> launched. Still, the product offers a glimpse at what a future could 
>>>>>> look like as progress in AI and machine learning increasingly help 
>>>>>> people with vision issues better perceive their environments and, 
>>>>>> therefore, live more independently.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The backpack was created by researchers at the University of Georgia, 
>>>>>> who took existing computer vision techniques and combined them into a 
>>>>>> system that seeks to replace the need for a cane or guide dog.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Irony was really the driving force behind the idea, according to 
>>>>>> Jagadish K. Mahendran, the lead researcher at the University of Georgia 
>>>>>> who also specializes in computer vision for robots.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> What's next for wheelchairs? Maybe autonomy.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> “I met with my visually impaired friend, and she was describing problems 
>>>>>> to me that she faces daily. And I was struck: For the past few years, 
>>>>>> I’ve been teaching robots how to see things while there are people who 
>>>>>> cannot see things and need help,” Mahendran said.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> There’s nothing outwardly special about the backpack’s design: It looks 
>>>>>> like an ordinary gray knapsack with a small computer, such as a laptop, 
>>>>>> inside. A match-box-sized GPS unit is affixed to the outside.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> In a demonstration video, the user also wears a vest with tiny holes to 
>>>>>> conceal an embedded AI camera. When connected to the computer, the 4K 
>>>>>> camera captures depth and color information used to help people avoid 
>>>>>> things like hanging branches. The camera can also be embedded in a fanny 
>>>>>> pack or other waist-worn pouches.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The spatial camera, built by the computer vision company Luxonis, can 
>>>>>> read signs, detect crosswalks and see coming changes in elevation.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Bluetooth earphones allow the user to communicate with the system and 
>>>>>> vice versa. So the wearer can ask out loud for location information, and 
>>>>>> the system will tell them where they are. If the camera spots a threat 
>>>>>> like an incoming pedestrian, it can tell the wearer.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It’s too soon to know how much such a device would cost consumers, but 
>>>>>> several start-ups and organizations are working to solve the same 
>>>>>> issues, and the tech doesn’t come cheap.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> WeWALK’s smart cane with obstacle detection sells for $600, 10 times as 
>>>>>> much as an ordinary white cane. OrCam MyEye Pro, a wireless smart camera 
>>>>>> that reads what’s in front of you, runs $4,250.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Social media has upped its accessibility game. But deaf creators say it 
>>>>>> has a long way to go.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Researchers at the University of Georgia went with a backpack design 
>>>>>> because it would help visually impaired people avoid unwanted attention. 
>>>>>> They used Intel’s Movidius computing chip because it was small and 
>>>>>> powerful enough to run advanced AI functions with low latency.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The next step is to raise funds and expand testing. They hope to one day 
>>>>>> unleash an open-source, AI-based, visual-assistance system. The 
>>>>>> researchers have formed a team called Mira, made up of some visually 
>>>>>> impaired volunteers.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> “We want this solution to be inclusive and as transparent as possible,” 
>>>>>> Mahendran said. “Our main motto is to increase the involvement of 
>>>>>> visually impaired people in their daily activities and reduce their 
>>>>>> dependency on others.”
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> -- 
>>>>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone 
>>>>> list.
>>>>>  
>>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or 
>>>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the 
>>>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>>>>  
>>>>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: 
>>>>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>>>>> [email protected]
>>>>>  
>>>>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>>>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
>>>>> --- 
>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>>>>> "VIPhone" group.
>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>>>>> email to [email protected].
>>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/71B01ACC-BE92-4700-9A6F-46E21CE99FC0%40gmail.com.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -- 
>>>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone 
>>>> list.
>>>>  
>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or 
>>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the 
>>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>>>  
>>>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: 
>>>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>>>> [email protected]
>>>>  
>>>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
>>>> --- 
>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>>>> "VIPhone" group.
>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>>>> email to [email protected].
>>>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/8338B4BD-6D1D-4E65-8BC8-EB6184DAC1F8%40gmail.com.
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.
>>>  
>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners 
>>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>>  
>>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at:  
>>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>>> [email protected]
>>>  
>>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
>>> --- 
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>>> "VIPhone" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>>> email to [email protected].
>>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/1fae01d75025%2452f79bd0%24fd01a8c0%40SimonPC.
>> 
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.
>>  
>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>  
>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: 
>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>> [email protected]
>>  
>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
>> --- 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>> "VIPhone" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>> email to [email protected].
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/B1386028-5CA7-4A25-B90F-EB2789F29C6B%40gmail.com.
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.
>>  
>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>  
>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: 
>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>> [email protected]
>>  
>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
>> --- 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>> "VIPhone" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>> email to [email protected].
>> To view this discussion on the web visit 
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/203901d75039%24edf519a0%24fd01a8c0%40SimonPC.
> 
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>  
> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: 
> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
> [email protected]
>  
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
> --- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
> "VIPhone" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
> email to [email protected].
> To view this discussion on the web visit 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/79FAD63F-A035-4172-8CA3-EBFB19F60882%40sbcglobal.net.

-- 
The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list.

If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you 
feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.

Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor.  Mark can be reached at:  
[email protected].  Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
[email protected]

The archives for this list can be searched at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
--- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
"VIPhone" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to [email protected].
To view this discussion on the web visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/ECB27415-7B60-45F7-ADBC-B691E1D50428%40gmail.com.

Reply via email to