According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 253 million visually impaired people around the world. But the traditional walking sticks most blind people use often do not meet the needs.
Engineers at TGA (Young Guru Academy) and Turkish home appliances giant Vestel have developed a smart cane called, WeWalk. The cane, designed by Mete Mordağ, has finally hit the markets.
Standing out thanks to its practical and aesthetic design, WeWalk is integrated with Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa as well as Google Maps. The smart cane features a battery that can be charged with a USB. It comes fitted with an ultrasonic sensor for obstacles, a vibrating warning system and a Bluetooth connection.
With all these features, the smart cane enables the visually impaired to walk around without needing anyone's help. Thanks to the Bluetooth connectivity, the visually impaired would not need to hold their phone to access the maps.
The WeWalk project won the Edison Award last year, one of U.S.' most prestigious innovation awards.
At the beginning of this year, the smart cane was showcased at an event in New York. The event was attended by Brooklyn Mayor Eric Adams and project coordinators as well as the members of the Brooklyn-based Helen Keller Services for the Blind, who were also involved in the project.
