Lighthouse Tech

Smart eyewear frames for the safe mobility of blind and low-vision people. Obstacle avoidance with fashion, wearability and comfort in mind!

Team Size:
6
Location:
Switzerland
Founders:
Nathan Deutsch, Andrea Moroni Stampa, Franco Burlando
Program(s):

The Problem

One of the most trusted tools for blind/low-vision mobility is the white cane, but this tool is totally ineffective for obstacles such as branches or open windows in the unprotected upper-body zone. Injury and vulnerability are powerful drivers of behaviour, especially for people experiencing vision-loss later in life. Importantly, white cane users have told us they do not want to replace this tool. Rather, would like to see a viable solution to effectively cover the upper-body gap.

The Solution

Lighthouse is a smart, fashion eyewear frame for blind and vision impaired people. It is designed to reduce the risk of collisions with objects in the upper-body zone where traditional aids like the white cane and guide dog are mostly ineffective. Two front-facing time-of-flight sensors embedded in the eyewear temples provide directional (L/R) haptic feedback on the temples. The device is engineered to be as small and unobtrusive as possible. Fashion eyewear frame components are employed and customers are given a choice of colours and sizes.