Tactile Wand Electronic Walking Stick
The walking stick for the blind has been around since the beginning of blindness. Okay, that was a bad intro, but you see my point: the walking stick hasn’t needed much improvement.
Of course, it is modern human nature to take something that needs to be crude and simple and add technology to it. For example, the Tactile Wand is a walking stick device that uses a distance sensor to detect objects in front of the user. Apparently, the closer you come to an object, the greater the vibration.
Many gadget blogs have been calling this device a “Wiimote for the blind”. I have to admit that there is an uncanny resemblance, and the fact that it has a “shaker” inside won’t remove this particular moniker anytime soon.
However, one shouldn’t discount the device’s ability to genuinely help people. I imagine that a blind person could easily adapt to this device, and increase their mobility without having to use the traditional stick. I am wondering if there is a way to make the Tactile Wand detect potentially harmful things that aren’t solid, such as an open elevator shaft.
The Tactile Wand has a recharging cradle, which addresses another obvious problem: the need for power. You would definitely not want to be a blind person dependent on a Tactile Wand, only to have it fail you at a critical moment.
Right now, the Tactile Wand exists in concept only, but it certainly has great potential.
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Sunday Gadget Gallery » Coolest Gadgets Says: March 9, 2008 at 5:15 am
[...] Tactile Wand Electronic Walking Stick [...]
Mel Graham Says: January 15, 2010 at 6:08 am
this is a brilliant idea i love it 
Philemon rajah Says: November 8, 2010 at 7:49 am
I am working among the viusally chanllenged people here in India Madurai for the last 14years I will be happy if you give me the information regarding the Tactile Wand Electronic Walking Stick. kindly send me more information regarding this with love and prayers
Philemon rajah Says: November 8, 2010 at 7:51 am
give me more informaton about free things avilable for the blind people all over the world
Bill Sharp Says: August 25, 2011 at 7:07 am
There have been devices like this for blind people for many years. However they have not really been practical in real situations. For example, using this sort of white cane in a city with parked and moving automobiles, building along sidewalks and so on would mean such a device would be giving the user signals all the time, which would mean nothing to the blind person. It could however be useful for drop offs and items such as tree limbs above. these canes usually give audible signals. In addition to canes, devices also have been available that a blind person can wear on the chest, hung around the neck, which gives the same sort of information. Of course in this case the user would also be using a regular white cane.
Ravager Says: March 6, 2008 at 2:00 pm
This is not the first product of it’s kind. There is actually one on the Maxiaid site called a laser cane that is in production and offered, at a very unaffordable price. The laser cane does do dropoff detection, which I noticed you were wondering about. It also uses regular AA batteries, which one can hold in their pocket to avoid the “Great timing to die” type of thing. It would be really nice if these type of products were a bit more affordable, or partially covered to raise our standard of life.