VietNamNet Bridge - Instead of a walking stick, visually impaired people now can walk safely on the street with a glove using a sound wave sensor created by two young students, Lam Vu Hoang and Tran Quoc Co, from Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted. 

 

The product was awarded first prize at the National Science & Technology Competition for the Southern Region.

Hoang said he thought of making such a glove after realizing that visually impaired people have difficulties in traveling which affect their life quality, while products now available in the market, such as walking stick and glasses, are unaffordable to many of them.

Hoang and Co decided that visually impaired people need something which is friendly in use and cheap enough for the majority.

The special glove looks just like normal gloves. The only special thing it has is a small sound wave sensor unit.

When walking, users just need to wave their hands in accordance with the fan shape and the sound wave will be produced. 

If there are barriers or obstacles ahead, the sensor on the glove will define the barriers’ positions and vibrate, so that users can be alerted and avoid the obstacles.

If there are barriers or obstacles ahead, the sensor on the glove will define the barriers’ positions and vibrate, so that users can be alerted and avoid the obstacles.

Co said it took the two students eight months to create the product. They brought the product to Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Bung Sang House for visually impaired students to test the ‘magic glove’.

The experiments helped the two young inventors gradually improve their product.

“The students at the school and children of the house raised a lot of questions. They asked why there were so many electrical wires and if the wires would cause electric shocks. They also asked what they have to do in case the battery runs out,” Co said, adding that the questions gave them interesting suggestions.

Hoang’s and Co’s glove has been highly praised by teachers and friends. The management board of Le Hong Phong High School has promised to help them seek investors for product commercial development.

The most noteworthy thing of the glove sound wave sensor is that it can give alerts when it discovers barricades equal to all the upper, medium and lower parts of the body, thus allowing people to walk safely and easily.

The other outstanding characteristic of the glove is the low production cost of VND250,000, which is much cheaper than walking sticks and glasses for visually impaired available in the market.

Co said that he might equip the glove with LED lamp and the sound supporting device which would to alert other people nearby, so as to be able to cross the road more easily.

Kham Pha