“Force Illusions” Could Help the Visually Impaired
From: IDG Connect - 07/30/2014

A new report suggests that by 2020, well over 150 million wearable devices
will ship worldwide. While increasingly, many tech companies are paying
closer attention to the disability market. Ayesha Salim speaks with Tomohiro
Amemiya, a cognitive scientist at NTT Communication Science Laboratories,
about his “Force Illusions” wearable device that could benefit people with
visual impairments.

Amemiya says, "I hope that the device will work as a guide dog. Probably, it
can be attached to a white cane for the blind. For example, a blind person
who wants to go out somewhere unfamiliar would easily travel there."  

While Amemiya's "force illusions" device would be of great benefit to the
visually impaired, Amemiya sees it being used for a variety of purposes,
including in the form of watches, shoes, glasses. In the far future, Amemiya
even sees the possibility for his device to be embedded in the human body. 
Whatever the future holds for this specific product, it is clear that there
is lots of potential in the disability market - and for a chance to make
people’s lives easier.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.idgconnect.com/abstract/8600/-force-illusions-could-help-visually-impaired

Links:
NTT Communication Science Laboratories
http://www.kecl.ntt.co.jp/rps/english/index_e.html

Buru-Navi3 (with video 3:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1PHtzGeXrg

Related:
The next step in wearables? $100 vibrating smartshoes that can help the blind
http://www.neowin.net/news/the-next-step-in-wearables-100-vibrating-smartshoes-that-can-help-the-blind

See, hear: Microsoft is developing a wearable device to help blind people
  (with video 15:07) 
http://www.neowin.net/news/see-hear-microsoft-is-developing-a-wearable-device-to-help-blind-people