With bone conducting headsets, Microsoft to help the blind.
US-based technology giant Microsoft is building bone conducting headsets that will help the blind. This could help those with visual impairment move around in busy cities and streets. When a user wears the headsets, the headset will send audio signals to the blind person that will help him get past obstacles.
For those who are also deaf, Microsoft is introducing bone conducting headsets that send audio signals to the inner ear and this will use the skull as a medium. The technology is very similar to the one that is used in Google Glass. Microsoft has partnered with charity organization Guide Dogs to bring this plan of theirs to life.
The headset will use a Microsoft 3D soundscape prototype, which will also be able to be paired with a Windows phone. There are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth beacons that are strategically placed in the trial location.
If there is an obstacle in front of the person, the headset will ping them on the side they need to move. So through this, the people will be able to navigate through the crowded roads. All this while, the person will be able to hear the real life sounds around them.
A report by BBC claimed that when they asked 8 blind people how they felt about using the headset, 5 replied saying they felt safer and more confident while using the device.
