Intelligent Cane Uses Infrared Technology
12 Setembro 2012 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
The latest product selected as a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award
recipient – the first to win the award in Europe – was designed to
help the visually impaired be more independent. Télétact, created
by Paris-based IN3G, is a high-tech accessory for traditional white
canes. It uses infrared detection and vibration feedback to
identify hazards and obstacles and helps users navigate new
environments.
For the visually impaired, the traditional white cane is
extremely useful; although, it does have limitations. The new
Télétact, however, helps the visually impaired travel more
independently, even in unfamiliar environments. Télétact is a small
box that easily attaches to a standard white cane. The box emits a
harmless infrared beam that is projected horizontally along the
ground up to 27 inches ahead of the user. The beam is also
projected upward at a 45 degree angle. When the infrared beam
strikes an object, the Télétact box sends a vibration through the
cane, which increases or decreases according to the proximity of
the object.
When IN3G was ready to test and validate the mechanical parts
(for example, the opening of the battery cover), achieve a perfect
fit, and prepare the tools for injection molding, they turned to
Proto Labs. After two rounds of prototypes Proto Labs produced ten
molds and delivered one hundred Télétact cases. The final external
casing and battery housing is made of black polycarbonate, and
designed to protect the infrared light system, the power supply,
circuit boards and vibration device.
The ingenuity of the Télétact product – and its unquestionable
usefulness for the visually impaired – won over Larry Lukis,
founder and CTO of Proto Labs. "We were convinced by the potential
and simplicity of the product,” he said. “IN3G has improved upon
the white cane and created a device that can help millions of
people."
IN3G specializes in research and high-technology for
universities and public research organizations. Their research on
infrared technology helped them develop the Télétact for a
foundation that provides guide dogs and assistance for the visually
impaired.
"When the team at Proto Labs France suggested we submit Télétact
for the Cool Idea! Award, we didn’t hesitate,” said Roger Leroux,
technical manager of IN3G. “We’ve worked with Proto Labs before, so
we were very excited about this opportunity. Winning the Cool Idea!
Award has allowed us to manufacture enough parts to equip one
hundred people with Télétact for real-life tests.”
The Cool Idea! Award is a program created by Proto Labs that
offers designers the opportunity to realize innovative products
that otherwise would not get funded. In 2012, Proto Labs expanded
the program to the European Union and is now offering up to the
equivalent of $250,000 in services for prototyping and low volume
production. For more information, visit
www.protolabs.com/CoolIdea
About Proto LabsProto Labs (PRLB) is a leading online and
technology-enabled quick-turn manufacturer of low-volume
CNC-machined and injection molded custom parts for prototyping and
short-run production. The company provides “Real Parts, Really
Fast” to product developers worldwide and has two quick-turn
services in North America, Europe and Japan: Firstcut
(www.firstcut.com) CNC machining and Protomold (www.protomold.com)
injection molding. Both are capable of providing parts in as fast
as one business day. Product developers who use Proto Labs for
prototypes and short-run production can upload a 3D CAD file at any
one of Proto Labs online sites, get an interactive quotation and
place an order for Proto Labs services directly online. For more
information, visit: www.protolabs.com.
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