Revolutionary new cane for blind and partially sighted wins Design Application of the Year Award

A new electronic cane that will revolutionise the way visually impaired people can move around has won the Design Application of the Year category of the European Electronics Industry Awards.

Nicknamed the ‘Batcane’, the new product was also short-listed for the Research & Development Award. It was developed by Sound Foresight Limited, in partnership with Cambridge Consultants Limited, who produced the prototype.

The new product also won a Tomorrow’s World Health Innovation award last year. It has undergone extensive trials with blind users all over the world, and Sound Foresight has developed it further to ensure their suggestions have been incorporated into the end result. The company is now in the process of securing second round funding to take it to manufacture, and the ‘Batcane’ will be available in January 2004.

The Design Application of the Year Award, sponsored by Sony, asked entries to demonstrate, "that they have made appropriate and imaginative use of electronic component, hardware or software system design to tackle the requirements of specific customer(s) application(s)."

Professor Brian Hoyle – Engineering Director of Sound Foresight and one of the inventors of the ‘Batcane’, commented: "It is wonderful that our work has been recognised alongside so many big names in the electronics industry. The technical challenges were tough and we’re pleased the end result merits this sort of attention. It’s not simply a primary aid for the visually impaired – it is going to be a valuable addition to the lives of a lot of people."

Andrew Diston, Associate Director of Cambridge Consultants commented: "This is a product that we are very proud of, partly because of the freedom it will bring to people, and partly because of the nature of the technology we have used. The really clever part is that whilst the cane uses very advanced technology, the user doesn’t need to have any technical knowledge whatsoever – the cane becomes second nature with very little practice."

Richard Wilson, Editor of Electronics Weekly, said, "Our aim with these awards was to celebrate the companies and people that are achieving the highest standards and driving our industry forward. Congratulations to all the award winners."

Images of the batcane are available from the CCL media centre

Notes for editors:
The ‘Batcane’ has been developed using two distinct types of technology:
The first is inspired by the way bats navigate in darkness. The ‘Batcane’ uses ultrasonic signals which bounce off objects present in the environment and feed information back to the cane. This covers the areas in front and, uniquely, to the head height of the user. It is the first cane which gives reliable information about obstacles at that height, such as low branches and wing mirrors on lorries.

The second new technology is tactile feedback designed to access a specific part of the brain used in mapping the surroundings. We move around in a complex environment, and the Batcane enables the visually impaired user to build a mental map of the surroundings without effort, and without resorting to auditory signals which might interfere with other sounds in the area, such as beeps from reversing vans.

Sound Foresight Limited was created in 1998 as a result of informal contacts between researchers within the University of Leeds who had an interest in electronics, biology, and the use of ultrasound. Product potential was explored with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry in the form of a Smart Feasibility Award.

The European Electronics Industry Awards, launched by Electronics Weekly and Reed Electronics Group, were judged by an independent panel of industry experts. They were presented by Alistair McGowan at a ceremony at Le Meridien Grosvenor House in London on 24th September 2003.

There is more information on the website: www.electronicsweekly.com/awards

Cambridge Consultants Limited (CCL) designs and develops innovative new products, processes and systems. The organization enables clients to turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether launching first-to-market products, or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of over 250 engineers and scientists, CCL is able to offer solutions across a diverse range of industries including healthcare, telecommunications, industrial and consumer products, automotive and aerospace. Operating from purpose-built laboratories on the Cambridge Science Park, CCL works for multinationals and small companies alike.