Space Boots Could Help Astronauts on Mars and the Visually Impaired on Earth
From: Draper - 09/18/2017

Vibrating footwear, augmented reality glasses help make sense of the world

A team of researchers at Draper developed a new approach for how astronauts
see and feel the terrain around them. By equipping a special boot with
built-in sensors and tiny haptic motors that vibrate, the research team aims
to give astronauts the information they need to stay safe.

"We call them vibrotactile boots," said Alison Gibson, a Draper Fellow and
former graduate student in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
"The boots have built-in sensors and vibration motors, all connected to a
small microcontroller that processes the sensor data and determines which cue
to send to the user." The front of each boot contains an ultrasonic
range-finder, a proximity sensor and a six degree-of-freedom Inertial
Measurement Unit. The vibratory feedback delivered to the feet is
supplemented with an augmented reality visual display that also indicates the
location and proximity of approaching obstacles.

She added that Draper's and MIT's research in this area could have
applications in the design of navigation systems for the visually impaired,
and serve as an added safety measure for first responders and firefighters as
they navigate smoke-filled rooms.

Read the entire article at:
http://www.draper.com/news/space-boots-could-help-astronauts-mars-and-visually-impaired-earth

Link:
Vision impairment and blindness
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en