An enterprising researcher from The University of Manchester has developed a prototype tool that could help transform the lives of the blind and visually impaired.Vasileios Tsormpatzoudis has upgraded the white cane - which has been used as a mobility tool for centuries – by adding a low-cost embedded computer that functions in a similar way to a car parking sensor.

“mySmartCane allows visual impaired people to sense their environment beyond the physical length of their cane,” said Vasileios Tsormpatzoudis, who is researching energy storage and power network integration at The University of Manchester.

“The user is alerted to approaching objects using gentle audio, rather than waiting for the cane to physically bump into the object. Navigation is therefore easier and much faster.”

The user can hear the sounds using either a single headphone or a pair of bone-conducting headphones, so they can listen to their external environment without losing their freedom.