Latest news with #assistiveTechnology
Times
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Times
The new guide dog training: e-bikes, phone zombies, busy cities
Nothing upsets Laurie. With 'pavement zombies' marching towards him obliviously while tapping at their phones, with ambulance and police sirens screaming in his ears, and a speeding-but-silent e-scooter flashing across his path at 25mph, he pads safely and calmly through the chaos. Still, at least there are no robots to worry about today. Laurie is a 20-month-old labrador-golden retriever cross with a look in his eyes that could melt your heart. He's also a professional, with a job to do. He is nearing the end of his six-month training to be a guide dog, an intense process and one which has had to change a lot in the past decade, as Britain's roads and pavements have been transformed by new technology and evolving attitudes. 'We've had to adapt fast,' said Karen Brady, 35, a training and behaviour manager at the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, known as Guide Dogs, which launched in the 1930s. Their animals are now taught to cope with a host of new hazards — and delivery robots are one of the most recent. 'We've had a lot of fun with those in Cambridge,' she said. Introduced in the area in 2022, the automated vehicles trundle along the pavement and simply stop when they detect a pedestrian. Guide dogs were initially baffled, and stopped too. 'We had to teach them to treat the robot like a car that's parked on a pavement, and find a way around it,' she said. 'The makers gave us a shell to practise with.' Other innovations are much more widespread — and potentially dangerous. 'Electric vehicles are a big thing, because the dog owner can't hear them,' said Brady. 'E-scooters fly up past the dogs really quickly, really quietly. We've hired them sometimes and rode them around to get the dogs used to them.' • How Terry the guide dog puppy was bred for perfection Owners and their dogs work as a partnership, and with the human unable to perceive an almost-silent car, bicycle or scooter, the dog must be extra vigilant. The human is in charge, but the watchful dogs are trained not to move across a road if they see a danger. There are plenty more new hazards. 'Cars have got bigger, and often park on pavements — we've taught the dogs to do a lot more work, often having to go on roads so the owner can get through the space. You get e-bikes and scooters littered all over the pavement now too, which is another big thing to find a way around. Then there are mobility scooters: we get them used to those as puppies. 'And of course there are people staring at their mobile phones, not looking where they're going. We do indoor exercises in our training centre to get the dog used to them. Outside, Oxford Street is a good place to practise.' Modern life impinges in ways that the sighted might not consider. Glass lifts, increasingly common in shopping centres, can confuse dogs trained to avoid height hazards. 'Just seeing that the floor beneath them is moving up and down can be worrying for the dog,' said Brady. Shared spaces, where cycle and scooter paths are integrated with pedestrian pavements, present issues too. 'We have to familiarise the dogs with new schemes — cycle lanes, floating bus stops and so on,' said Laurie's sighted handler today, specialist trainer Wayne Townley. 'You have this real grey line of where traffic sits.' Some distractions are more traditional. This year, Guide Dogs ran a training session at Ascot to ensure the animals would not be unnerved by enormous, garish hats and fascinators. The charity said many are scared and confused by oversized headgear, which can make a familiar person look strange. London dogs have always had to get used to the Tube. Shallower lines such as the Hammersmith & City are easiest to cope with: only those with the strongest nerve can endure the high-decibel screeching of the deep Northern and Victoria lines. Laurie has taken it all on board, and is a model of calm purpose as he guides Townley, 58, through the pandemonium of London's West End. He effortlessly tacks around an approaching phone zombie, is unfazed by deafening sirens and traffic, and ignores a tempting discarded kebab. 'They're a lot more common than they used to be — it's littered with them round here on Saturday morning — but the dog must know it can only eat food when it's given to them,' said Brady. 'We call it food manners.' She said most of the public are kind and considerate around guide dogs, but often do not notice that one is near them. 'People are involved in their own worlds, expected to do emails on the way to work. The modern world is such that people are looking down a lot of the time.' There are about 3,000 working guide dogs, mainly labradors, golden retrievers or crosses of the two, which are purpose-bred. It costs £38,000 to train each dog, all of which comes from donations. Their training begins when they are 14 months old. Most will then stay with one owner until about ten years old, when they retire to a volunteer's home to become a family pet. Laurie will soon be matched with a visually impaired person on the Guide Dogs shortlist, which could be anywhere in the country: there is then another five weeks of training specialised to their needs. 'Sight loss has no regard for background,' said Townley, who has been training dogs for 36 years. 'We've had to familiarise them with visits to a church, or mosque, even to Emirates stadium for Arsenal games. A businesswoman user had to fly a lot, so we did trips through the airport and a couple of flights. Every owner, and every dog, is different. 'But I've been doing it for 36 years and it's still a privilege. You see the change it makes to people's lives, the freedom, the confidence. It's humbling.' To donate to Guide Dogs, go to
CBS News
21-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
First-of-its-kind "smart living home" opens in Washington County
A first-of-its-kind smart living home has opened its doors in Washington County, offering assistive technology to help people with disabilities live independently. The home in Canonsburg opened in May, offering tours and hands-on experiences to families and individuals to see what they could install in their own homes. "So, what we try to do is invite people here so that we can sit with them, understand their goals, and what's more, you know what's most important to them, and help them to find the technology that works for them," Craig Douglass said, the chief administrative officer of Arc Human Services. Arc Human Services is a nonprofit that is dedicated to improving and supporting people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and mental illness. "We think this will really help them. It will help them become more independent. It will help them to be able to stay in their home longer and will help keep them safe in their home and the community," Edward Picchiarini said, the CEO of Arc Human Services. The smart home appears to be any other home, but it contains numerous smart technologies to help individuals live independently. "One of the things we have in the house is a panic button. We call it our 'stranger danger' button," Douglass said. The button can be installed in each room of a home for assistance, like if someone unexpected shows up at the front door. "We tell them that they can hit this red button," Douglass said. Once the button is activated, Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant technology will begin talking and giving instructions. "They'll get a verbal prompt that says, 'Don't open the door,'" Douglass said. The front door will also automatically lock. "Then we'll get a call from a caregiver that will help provide support to that individual," Douglass said. Other options include sensors to detect when a person gets in and out of bed to either turn the lights on or off. Douglass said that in the smart home, a pathway of lights from the bedroom to the bathroom is set up to show what options are available based on an individual's needs. "This is designed to help somebody who maybe gets up in the middle of the night and they have to go to the bathroom. This is a way for us to couple, again, visual prompts to help them navigate to the toilet safely," Douglass said. Each room in the home also has a sensor to ensure safety and support. "It has an AI feature built in that learns what people are doing and is expected," Douglass said. "So, if, like, somebody was, you know, hadn't been up for two hours, and we usually see them up at eight o'clock in the morning, a caregiver will get an alert to let them know something's up." The wide range of technology can also assist in the kitchen. "One of the things we have is a smart microwave. For example, a person with autism may struggle with buttons. So instead of putting a meal in for three minutes, they might accidentally hit an extra zero, and that can be a fire hazard," Douglass said. "So this is tied with an Amazon device, and you can announce to Alexa to turn the microwave on, and it'll set the timer for you automatically." Douglass said you can also ask Alexa to assist in making macaroni and cheese. "Get your pot out of the cabinet beside the stove. The light on the cabinet should be changing colors," Alexa could be heard saying. "Fill the pot with six cups of water. The measuring cup is in the cabinet to the right of the stove. The light where it is located should be changing color." "Alexa will walk them through this routine of making macaroni and cheese," Douglass said. Picchiarini said the technology can be personalized for individual needs to support independence. "Right now, people may have staff with them 24 hours a day, and if they're able to even have a few hours on their own or short periods of time, we think that would be really great for them to be able to experience some independence like that," Picchiarini said. To set up a tour in the smart living home or for more information about ARC human services, click here.
CTV News
04-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Saskatoon student invents deaf blind communication device
WATCH: A Saskatoon high school student is gaining national attention for his invention that helps deaf blind people communicate with others.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired Market Worth $11.25 Billion by 2029 and $20.89 Billion by 2034: Analysis of Trends, Opportunities, Strategies and Key Players
Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired Market Dublin, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired Market Opportunities and Strategies to 2034" report has been added to report describes and explains the assistive technologies for visually impaired market and covers 2019-2024, termed the historic period, and 2024-2029, 2034F termed the forecast period. The report evaluates the market across each region and for the major economies within each region. The global assistive technologies for visually impaired market reached a value of nearly $6.11 billion in 2024, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.09% since 2019. The market is expected to grow from $6.11 billion in 2024 to $11.25 billion in 2029 at a rate of 12.99%. The market is then expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.17% from 2029 and reach $20.89 billion in in the historic period resulted from the improvements in internet connectivity, rising prevalence of visual impairments, rising healthcare expenditure and increased government initiatives and regulations. Factors that negatively affected growth in the historic period were privacy and security concerns and low healthcare access in developing forward, growing use of smartphones, expansion of e-commerce platforms, increasing aging population worldwide and rising demand for independent living solutions will drive the growth. Factor that could hinder the growth of the assistive technologies for visually impaired market in the future include economic global assistive technologies for visually impaired markets are fragmented, with a large number of players operating in the market. The top ten competitors in the market made up 8.04% of the total market in 2023. Cambium Learning Group was the largest competitor with a 2.39% share of the market, followed by Vispero Group (VFO) with 1.08%, Eschenbach Optik GmbH with 0.93%, Acer Inc. with 0.87%, Optelec Inc. with 0.67%, OrCam Technologies Ltd. with 0.56%, Google LLC with 0.50%, HumanWare Group with 0.48%, LVI Low Vision International AB with 0.32% and eSight Corporation with 0.24%.North America was the largest region in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market, accounting for 36.07% or $2.2 billion of the total in 2024. It was followed by Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and then the other regions. Going forward, the fastest-growing regions in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market will be Asia-Pacific and South America where growth will be at CAGRs of 15.12% and 14.11% respectively. These will be followed by Africa and Middle East where the markets are expected to grow at CAGRs of 13.84% and 13.60% assistive technologies for visually impaired market is segmented by type into educational devices and software, mobility devices, low vision devices and other types. The educational devices and software market was the largest segment of the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by type, accounting for 41.49% or $2.53 billion of the total in 2024. Going forward, the educational devices and software segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by type, at a CAGR of 15.08% during assistive technologies for visually impaired market is segmented by distribution channel into online retail, offline retail and direct sales. The online retail market was the largest segment of the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by distribution channel, accounting for 46.47% or $2.84 billion of the total in 2024. Going forward, the online retail segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by distribution channel, at a CAGR of 17.52% during assistive technologies for visually impaired market is segmented by end user into blind schools, enterprises and social organizations, personal use, hospitals and other end users. The enterprises and social organizations market was the largest segment of the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by end user, accounting for 44.86% or $2.74 billion of the total in 2024. Going forward, the enterprises and social organizations segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by end user, at a CAGR of 15.37% during top opportunities in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by type will arise in the educational devices and software segment, which will gain $2.58 billion of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by distribution channel will arise in the online retail segment, which will gain $3.52 billion of global annual sales by 2029. The top opportunities in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market segmented by application will arise in the enterprises and social organizations segment, which will gain $2.86 billion of global annual sales by 2029. The assistive technologies for visually impaired market size will gain the most in the USA at $1.56 strategies for the assistive technologies for visually impaired market include advancements in wearable smart glasses enhancing independence with assistive technologies, integration of AI in assistive technologies enhancing personalized solutions for the visually impaired, focus on accessible smartphones driving innovation in assistive technologies and advancements in digital accessibility expanding inclusivity and usability for visually impaired strategies in the assistive technologies for visually impaired market include focus on strengthening its business operations through new developments and business operations through strategic take advantage of the opportunities, the analyst recommends the assistive technologies for visually impaired companies to focus on wearable smart technology to support independence in visually impaired individuals, focus on integrating AI to create personalized assistive technologies, focus on developing accessible smartphones for visually impaired individuals, focus on improving digital accessibility for visually impaired users, expand in emerging markets, focus on expanding distribution channels for assistive technologies for visually impaired, focus on developing competitive pricing strategies for assistive technologies for visually impaired, focus on leveraging digital marketing for assistive technologies for visually impaired, focus on partnerships with social organizations and enterprises for promotion, focus on the online retail market for assistive technologies for visually impaired and focus on enterprises and social organizations market for assistive technologies for visually Market Trends Advancements in Wearable Smart Glasses Enhancing Independence With Assistive Technologies Integration of AI in Assistive Technologies Enhancing Personalized Solutions for the Visually Impaired Focus on Accessible Smartphones Driving Innovation in Assistive Technologies Advancements in Digital Accessibility Expanding Inclusivity and Usability for Visually Impaired Users Markets Covered:1) by Type: Educational Devices; Software; Mobility Devices; Low Vision Devices; Other Types2) by Distribution Channel: Online Retail; Offline Retail; Direct Sales3) by End User: Blind Schools; Enterprises and Social Organizations; Personal Use; Hospitals; Other End UsersKey Companies Profiled: Cambium Learning Group; Vispero Group (VFO); Eschenbach Optik GmbH; Acer Inc.; Optelec China; Australia; India; Indonesia; Japan; South Korea; USA; Canada; Brazil; France; Germany; UK; Italy; Spain; RussiaRegions: Asia-Pacific; Western Europe; Eastern Europe; North America; South America; Middle East; Series: Five years historic and ten years Ratios of market size and growth to related markets; GDP proportions; expenditure per capita; assistive technologies for the visually impaired indicators Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 296 Forecast Period 2024-2034 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $6.11 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2034 $20.89 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 13.1% Regions Covered Global The companies featured in this Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired market report include: Cambium Learning Group Vispero Group (VFO) Eschenbach Optik GmbH Acer Inc Optelec Inc OrCam Technologies Ltd. Google LLC HumanWare Group LVI Low Vision International AB eSight Corporation Sony Corporation HumanWare ViewPlus Technologies Nippon Telesoft Co., Ltd. Envision AI Microsoft Corporation Thinkerbell Labs Ikotek Artha France Banca Sella iVision Tech Sonova Holding AG Essilor International Reinecker Vision GmbH Dolphin Computer Access Ltd. Sight and Sound Technology Ltd. Eurobraille SA Braille Works Apple Plantronics Inc American Thermoform Corporation Freedom Scientific Inc AbleNet, Inc Access Ingenuity Amal Glass Vinsighte Limited Torchit Sensory Solutions ReAble For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Assistive Technologies for the Visually Impaired Market CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Logitech's One-of-a-Kind Accessible Gaming Rig
Logitech Blog A New Way to Game Two years ago, while awaiting surgery to address a unique medical condition, 12-year-old Daire Gorman desperately needed to find a new way to game. And so began a collaboration with Big Life Fix, a Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE) program that brought together a team of specialized Irish designers seeking to improve the lives of those in need. Since its premier in 2020, the RTE team has helped disabled athletes, creatives, and professionals find new ways to enjoy old hobbies—and Daire hoped he would be next in line to receive an innovative, life-changing solution to his gaming needs. For this build, designers from Big Life Fix partnered with both Microsoft and Logitech. This all-star partnership of two of the world's most prominent computer peripherals manufacturers sought to craft a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gaming rig uniquely fit for Daire's situation. 'Gaming's not [just] a pastime for me,' The 12 year-old explained during a home interview with RTE. 'If I have a tough day at school or if I'm feeling really frustrated and tired, I come in here and escape from everything—it's my holiday.' Daire is one of seven people in the entire world with Crommelin Syndrome, an extremely rare condition that causes those affected to be born without certain body parts. He's spent his life without arms from the elbow down, without a femur bone in both of his legs, and with just four toes on each foot. If you ask anyone around him, though, his personality is what seems to stand out most. 'His condition means he's quite limited in lots of things,' said Trevor Vaugh on the television program, designer and inventor featured on the Big Life Fix who initially worked with Daire. 'He struggles to walk; he doesn't have his arms; [but] he's developed this incredible attitude that kind of knocks you back.' 'He's such a positive, extroverted guy,' added Niall White, Technical Mechanical Engineering Leader at Logitech G. 'He never gets down on himself.' Prior to his operation, Daire played games exclusively with his feet, which as a result have become stronger and nimbler, his toes curled inwards to reach the buttons on his controller. Despite this arduous positioning of his feet and the near constant pain it causes, Daire still finds profound joy in gaming. 'That console and this controller…they're my lifeline,' he admitted during an RTE interview, seated with a PlayStation controller between his feet, voice still with a high, boyish timbre. 'If something bothers me—frustrates me—this is the place to go.' Although Daire's planned surgery intended to straighten his legs and lessen his day-to-day pain, it came at a dire cost: it would limit his ability to hold a video game controller for longer periods of time. After months of innovation, iteration, and testing, the Big Life 'Fixers', including Logitech Electrical Engineer Shane Phelan, worked together to build Daire a brand-new, custom-made gaming rig. Over twenty individuals worked on the project, culminating in a gaming chair, footpad with pedal controls, and RGB-lit arm cuffs, which Daire controlled through an array of interior buttons. This design allowed Daire to not only utilize his feet but his arms as well, something he wasn't able to do with his previous gaming setup. The RGBs also enabled him to customize the setup with his own personal flair. When the team presented Daire with his new rig, he placed his arms into the cuffs, hesitated, wiped his eyes on his sleeve, and wept, overcome with gratitude. 'It's amazing,' he whispered, through tears and sniffles. 'It's mad!' 'It was mind-blowing what they can do and what they've done,' his father added. 'For people to give up their free time, to put what they do for a living into our son… I can't thank everybody enough' A Rig That Lasts For a moment, it seemed that Daire's woes were solved, and he went through with his operation looking forward to a recovery full of rest and gaming. Sadly, the joy didn't last. Daire's rig quickly began to show signs of wear and tear. Buttons jammed, and, distressingly, longer gaming sessions left him with immense arm fatigue. When Logitech learned of the situation, the company sent a team of designers to collaborate with Daire on remedying the situation. Although they worked tirelessly, replacing and adjusting various parts, with each successive attempt to repair the device, something different seemed to go wrong. It eventually became clear that smaller fixes wouldn't suffice; a rebuild was needed. Daire, who had patiently waited months for a fix that seemed increasingly impossible, deserved a rig that would last him a lifetime. That's when Logitech brought on Anna Hurley, a promising product design graduate from the University of Limerick, who joined Logitech and was given full creative freedom to create a bold new vision for Daire's new accessible gaming rig. It was an ambitious project. The team aimed to complete in three months what would normally take a year or more, but Daire had waited long enough. 'I immediately hit the ground running,' Hurley said. 'I was able to have a few prototypes ready when I did meet [Daire] a few weeks after I started.' After digging into the original model, she found that: Several components on the device, including the footpad and arm cuffs, were not designed to withstand the full strength of arms and feet, which—due to his condition—Daire was forced to employ during every gaming session. This caused buttons, joysticks, and circuit boards to wear down over time—and eventually left the rig in an unplayable state. Further, even when operating as intended, the cuffs were positioned in such a way that Daire held his arms straight out in front of him, parallel to the floor, while gaming, which led to fatigue and shortened gaming sessions. The footpad panel was also too small for his growing feet, with sharp edges and no area for Daire to comfortably rest. Finally, the original chair's frame was connected to a heavy circular ground mat, which was so big that Daire could not get in or out of the chair without assistance. As Daire is now a teenager, independence is important as a feature and function. Hurley and the Logitech team stripped the original model down to the bone, unpacking each and every design, mechanical, and engineering decision—and going back to the drawing board to create a more durable, accessible chair. A period of prototyping followed. Daire and his family visited Logitech's office in Cork for testing, and Hurley, with a can-do attitude, explored a variety of changes to the initial model. Eventually, here's what the team settled on: The original footpad, which was originally less than a foot in length, grew significantly, containing stronger materials and a larger padded space on which Daire could rest his feet. This new design also removed the arm cuffs entirely, replacing them with the familiar joysticks Daire already used for his electric wheelchair. Lastly, Hurley swapped the circular foundation of the original chair with a smaller flat panel, allowing Daire to use any chair he'd like and, more importantly, climb in and out of the rig on his own. As a personal touch, the Logitech team also included a large Liverpool crest, Daire being a massive fan of the team. 'Daire is such a fun-loving kid, and he was so adaptable with everything we gave him.' Hurley exclaimed after completing the build. 'Anna took on everything really, really quickly,' said Mona Sharma, Logitech Senior Industrial Designer and Anna Hurley's Mentor throughout this process. 'She was bright, conscientious, organized, and got what we needed done and more.' Christmas Comes Early On December 20th, 2024, Niall, Anna, and several other members of Logitech's design team made the drive north from their Cork office up to the Gorman residence to deliver the new and improved gaming rig. It was a four-hour journey through the heart of Ireland—past large cities, quaint villages, dewy farmland, and eventually into the sleepy country town that Daire calls home. Once installed, Daire's new rig—with its smaller footprint, red paint, and Liverpool crest, perched amongst a sea of Liverpool merchandise and signed jerseys—there's an overwhelming sense that this updated model was just that: his. 'Oh, wow!' Daire gasped, eyes lit up as he piloted his electric wheelchair across the room towards the new device. 'That's UNREAL!' With an impossibly large grin, Daire got settled, placed his feet on the improved footpad, and rested his arm on the new joystick, the same trusty component he used to control his wheelchair. Then, he began to play. He had no issues whatsoever. 'I barely got a word from him after that!' explained Hurley, who watched on from afar as Daire indulged himself in a round of FIFA. 'He was just engulfed in the game…and that's what we wanted out of all of this.' 'It was such a pleasant experience,' she said, reflecting on the entire process. 'Daire is fantastic, well-mannered, and super polite—and his family was so supportive.' The Final Fix To ensure the best possible gaming experience, the Logitech team remains in contact with Daire's family to continue to monitor and maintain the device should any needs arise. Learn more about design and innovation at Logitech here. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Logitech
