ViiO Travel Aid aims to patch up the prevailing social gap between the visual impaired and the general society by enabling them to travel with absolute confidence and independence. Maximizing the potential of the latest advanced technologies, ViiO, which consists of two integrating devices, Viitect and Viirect, provides complete capability in both local navigation and global way-finding which are crucially essential for a visual impaired individual to travel with.
"ViiO redefines the way the world looks at blind people, and the way blind people look at the world."
Viitect is a device attached to a conventional white cane to detect any hanging obstacles at head level which are undetectable with a white cane. Maximizing the potential of ultrasonic sensor technology, Viitect will detect any hazards then alert the user by triggering vibration to the users’ thumb. Together with the white cane, it gives complete feedback for a perfect and safe travel.
Viirect is a voice-interactive Global Positioning System that enables the users to simply give input with voice and receive audio directional feedback for maximum practicality. Furthermore, when Viirect and Viitect are linked together with bluetooth connectivity, the system will automatically convert the audio feedback to actuated pins which can be tactually felt by a thumb when holding their Viitect. The purpose of the integrating system is to avoid interupting the users’ auditory perception which are very important to assimilate any information about the surrounding.
While Viitect works on a narrower scale informing the details about a path (local navigation), Viirect provides wider navigational feedback to get to a place (global wayfinding). Each device separately serves a good purpose in maneuvering, but both together will greatly enhance a perfect experience of travelling for visual impaired users. The devices also work together with a white cane to prevent hopelessness in the case of technology malfunction and also to offer maximum accessibility for the users: product familiarization, adaptation, practicality and efficiency.
To enhance the user experience, Viicharge charging mat enables the users to recharge ViiO devices without the need to remove the battery cover or changing the batteries. With the advanced inductive charging technology, Viicharge will wirelessly recharge the rechargeable batteries that run the ViiO devices which process is as fast as regular contact charging. The user interface of the charger is very practical and easy to understand for every visual impaired user.
ViiO in The Lasalle Show 2012 Exhibition
