Mygo - Steering cane for the blind...

The march (so to speak) of smartified products continues with the Mygo cane for the blind, a concept by German design student Sebastian Ritzler featured in the 2007 IDEA awards by BusinessWeek. In the descriptions available for the product, the cane is said to use a "sensor-camera combo to measure the ground below it and give the user real-time feedback via a wireless headset." [Gizmodo]

This is a good start - but it seems that the Mygo is just on the verge of offering an even more useful behavior for its user. Instead of relaying audio feedback to a headset (requiring conscious processing of a phrase like "turn left," and appropriate corrective action), the cane could simply steer its own wheel to avoid obstacles. Add a basic GPS system, and the cane can guide the user to a destination in addition to dodging those obstacles. Hmm... I kinda wish I had one of those, myself!