NEW DELHI, July 22 ― A new device developed by researchers in India uses ultrasound to guide the visually impaired through the busy streets.

Known as the SmartCane, the new device sends out ultrasound waves to surrounding areas and identifies obstacles by detecting the echoes that bounce back from nearby objects. Once an obstacle is detected, it uses vibrations to inform and divert the user around it.

Regular white canes can only detect obstacles up to knee height, while the Smartcane can detect obstacles from knee to head height, CNN reports.

According to CNN, similar technologies existed in countries including South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, where a device called the “Ultracane” became available in 2011. ― Reuters

Researchers in India have developed a new device which uses ultrasound to guide the blind through busy streets. ― Reuters pic