Toronto-based accessible technology startup Braze Mobility has launched an add-on system that can help a wheelchair avoid colliding with obstacles.
Using various sensors, the device will detect obstacles and provide visual, audio or vibration feedback to the wheelchair driver. Braze says the system is compatible with both powered and manual wheelchairs.
“Rear visibility and manoeuvering in tight spaces are real issues with mobility devices — and collisions can result,” said Pooja Viswanathan, CEO of Braze Mobility in a press statement. “Our obstacle-detection system is designed to increase safety, independence and quality of life for people living with mobility impairment.”
Viswanathan is a postdoctoral fellow in computer science at the University of Toronto and has worked for over a decade on collision-avoidance systems for wheelchairs.
“Anyone who uses a wheelchair can benefit from this system, which will be particularly useful for people with low peripheral vision and limited neck and upper body flexibility” she said in the press release. “One of our testers says he feels like he has eyes on the back of his head with this technology. He says that it’s ‘got his back.'”
The system is available for order through ‘www.brazemobility.com’ by institutions such as hospitals and clinics across North America. Braze says direct sales to individual consumers will be offered at a later date.
Canadians have continued to help pave the way for technologically-enhanced wheelchairs. Back in July, researchers from the Toronto-based Cyberworks Robotics and the University of Toronto revealed currently in-development self-driving wheelchair technology.
Image credit: Pixabay
Source: Canada Newswire
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